Nanoparticle drug delivery systems present potentially effective avenues for reducing drug toxicity, prolonging systemic circulation, solubilizing poorly soluble drug candidates and controlling the kinetics of drug release. This is particularly evident in the treatment of cancer and passive targeting of tumor cells. Cancer drug delivery systems depend on the right size, shape, surface, and specific drug release properties of the system to ensure the ability to circulate for a prolonged period of time, resulting in accumulation in tumor tissue, and eventually drug release locally, specifically to cancer cells. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been used to coat lipid-based nanoparticular delivery systems. Its main purpose appears to be to “hide” the drug from the defense systems of the body during circulation. PEG chains extending outward from the nanoparticle provide a hydrophilic, flexible “cloud” that acts as a protective layer around the lipid coat and the drug cargo, to inhibit degradation. We studied the effect of polyethylene glycol, light and pH on drug degradation and attempted to quantify the contributions of oxidative, photolytic, and hydrolytic modes of degradation using doxorubicin as our model cargo drug. The presence of PEG seems to contribute to accelerated oxidative degradation of the drug compared to PEG-free systems.

Determination of the decomposition kinetics of doxorubicin in aqueous solution

251st National Meeting (2016)

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