A Surface Activable Nanoemulsion platform for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

描述(申请人提供)：在西方和工业化国家，每10名妇女中就有一人患有乳腺癌，仅在美国，每年确诊的病例总数约为19万人，死亡率相当高，达4万人。这强烈地推动了更有效的治疗方法的发展。最近的流行病学和实验研究结果显示，乳腺癌和疏水他汀类药物治疗之间存在显著的有益关联。纳米乳液通过改善生物分布、循环半衰期以及减少与血浆蛋白质或其他血浆成分的相互作用，为更好地治疗疏水化合物提供了令人兴奋的新可能性。此外，它们还提供了靶向特定递送的可能性，更重要的是，整合了多种特性，例如允许使用相同的试剂进行治疗和诊断。在这个项目中，我们计划开发一种独特的治疗和表面可激活的纳米颗粒平台，该平台可以应用于靶向特异性MRI和乳腺癌的抗肿瘤治疗。纳米颗粒通过RGD多肽靶向表达1v23的乳腺癌细胞，但通过以下策略阻止其靶向循环中的1v23表达细胞：当纳米颗粒循环时，RGD多肽被长链聚乙二醇链主动屏蔽，以最大限度地减少它们对血管新生血管和网状内皮系统细胞的暴露。一旦颗粒聚集在肿瘤间质间隙，肿瘤内的基质金属蛋白酶-2活性会将聚乙二醇链断裂，RGD-部分可用于促进肿瘤细胞的摄取。将进行全面的体外靶向和疗效研究。在体内，将在小鼠乳腺癌模型上进行生物分布和分子成像研究，以评估靶向效率。最后，将在相同的小鼠模型上研究治疗效果。广泛的免疫荧光、组织学和分子生物学技术将被应用于评估体内的发现并揭示其作用机制。具体目标是：目标1：合成并表征一种用于靶向、可视化和治疗乳腺癌的表面切换纳米乳剂平台。目的：检测纳米乳剂对不同细胞类型的体外靶向效应和治疗潜力。目的：通过体内成像研究表面切换纳米乳剂在乳腺癌小鼠模型中的生物分布和靶向“捕获”。目的4：进行一项治疗研究，将携带他汀类药物的表面切换纳米乳剂应用于乳腺癌小鼠模型。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Breast cancer affects up to one in 10 women in Western and industrialized countries and the total number of cases diagnosed are about 190,000 each year in the United States alone, with a considerable mortality rate of 40,000. This strongly motivates the development of more effective treatments. Results from recent epidemiological and experimental studies have revealed significant beneficial association between breast cancer and hydrophobic statin therapy. Nanoemulsions offer exciting new possibilities for better treatment strategies of hydrophobic compounds by improving the biodistribution, the circulation half-life, and by diminishing interactions with plasma proteins or other plasma constituents. In addition, they also offer the possibility for target-specific delivery and, importantly, the integration of multiple properties, e.g. to allow therapy and diagnostics with the same agent. In this project we propose to develop a unique theranostic and surface activatable nanoparticle platform, which can be applied for target-specific MRI and anti-tumor therapy of breast cancer. The nanoparticles are targeted to 1v23-expressing breast cancer cells via RGD-peptides, but are prevented from targeting 1v23-expressing cells in the circulation through the following strategy: When the nanoparticles circulate, the RGD-peptides are actively shielded by long PEG-chains to minimize their exposure to the angiogenic vasculature and the cells of the reticulo-endothelial system. Once the particles accumulate in the tumor interstitial space, the PEG-chains are cleaved off by matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity inside the tumor and the RGD-moieties become available to facilitate uptake by tumor cells. Full in vitro targeting and efficacy studies will be performed. In vivo, biodistribution and molecular imaging studies will be performed on mouse breast cancer models in order to evaluate targeting efficiency. Lastly, therapeutic efficacy will be investigated in the same mouse models. Extensive immunofluorescent, histological, and molecular biological techniques will be applied to evaluate the in vivo findings and to unravel the mechanism of action. The specific aims are: Aim 1: To synthesize and characterize a surface-switching nanoemulsion platform for targeting, visualizing and treating breast cancer. Aim 2: To test the targeting efficacy and therapeutic potential of nanoemulsions in vitro on different cell types. Aim 3: To study the biodistribution and targeted 'trapping' of surface-switching nanoemulsions in a breast cancer mouse model via in vivo imaging. Aim 4: To conduct a therapy study where surface-switching nanoemulsions, that carry statins, are applied to a breast cancer mouse model.