Design of novel nanoparticles for targeted and efficient drug delivery is essential to improving the field of precision medicine. Current therapeutic strategies for treatment of cancer are limited by the nonspecific and cytotoxic nature of existing drugs. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have the potential to overcome the low efficacy of current methods as their size (~20 nm) enables enhanced circulation and passive accumulation while their polymeric surface coating allows for conjugation of targeting ligands and therapeutics. This project will focus on designing gold nanoparticles coated with a poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendron that contains both active targeting and acid-sensitive drug release functionality. The PPI dendron is an ideal scaffold for the design of drug delivery vehicles because the polymeric backbone enables a proton-sponge effect that will enhance lysosomal escape and intracellular therapeutic delivery. Subsequent acidification of the AuNP system to pH 4-5 results in cleavage of the hydrazone-doxorubicin bond. In addition, the PPI-dendron was conjugated via “Click” chemistry to an EphA2-targeting antibody fragment that has been shown to target prostate cancer cells. This presentation summarizes current progress towards the design and characterization of a dendronized gold nanoparticle platform for targeted drug delivery of doxorubicin to prostate cancer cells.

Targeted delivery of doxorubicin to prostate cancer cells using dendronized gold nanoparticles

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.