Enhancing cancer chemo-immunotherapy by biomimetic nanogel with tumor targeting capacity and rapid drug-releasing in tumor microenvironment

In the development of chemo-immunotherapy, many efforts have been focusing on designing suitable carriers to realize the co-delivery of chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic with different physicochemical properties and mechanisms of action. Besides, rapid drug release at the tumor site with minimal drug degradation is also essential to facilitate the antitumor effect in a short time. Here, we reported a cancer cell membrane-coated pH-responsive nanogel (NG@M) to co-deliver chemotherapeutic paclitaxel (PTX) and immunotherapeutic agent interleukin-2 (IL-2) under mild conditions for combinational treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. In the designed nanogels, the synthetic copolymer PDEA-co-HP-β-cyclodextrin-co-Pluronic F127 and charge reversible polymer dimethylmaleic anhydride-modified polyethyleneimine endowed nanogels with excellent drug-loading capacity and rapid responsive drug-releasing behavior under acidic tumor microenvironment. Benefited from tumor homologous targeting capacity, NG@M exhibited 4.59-fold higher accumulation at the homologous tumor site than heterologous cancer cell membrane-coated NG. Rapidly released PTX and IL-2 enhanced the maturation of dendritic cells and quickly activated the antitumor immune response in situ, followed by prompted infiltration of immune effector cells. By the combined chemo-immunotherapy, enhanced antitumor effect and efficient pulmonary metastasis inhibition were achieved with a prolonged median survival rate (39 days).

A Study Investigating the Absorption and Pharmacokinetics of a Newly Developed Paracetamol/Caffeine Formulation Containing Sodium Bicarbonate in Healthy Volunteers.

Aims: To assess pharmacokinetic (PK) bioequivalence between a newly developed formulation, rapid-relese paracetamol plus sodium bicarbonate and caffeine (RAPC), containing 500 mg paracetamol + 65 mg caffeine + 325 mg sodium bicarbonate), and the currently marketed Panadol® Extra product in both the fasted and semi-fed states. Study Design: A single center, randomized, open label, four-way crossover, PK study. Place and Duration of Study: MDS Pharma Services (Now Celerion), 2420, W. Baseline Road, Tempe, AZ 85283, between July 17, 2009 to August 10, 2009. Methodology: We included 30 healthy volunteers (20 males, 10 females; age range 18- 55 years). The characterized PK parameters included total and partial area under the concentration time curve (AUC0-30min, AUC0-60min, AUC0-t/AUC0-∞), time to reach peak drug plasma concentration/therapeutic level (Tmax/Tc≥4ug/ml), and maximum measured plasma concentration (Cmax). The safety of the study treatments was also assessed. Results: In both fasted and semi-fed states, the exposure to paracetamol and caffeine for new RAPC formulation was bioequivalent to Panadol® Extra for AUC0-10 hrs, AUC0-∞ and Cmax with 90% confidence intervals (CIs), all being within the range 0.80 to 1.25, except for a higher paracetamol Cmax for RAPC in fasted state. RAPC exhibited significantly greater early absorption for both paracetamol (≥1.8-fold greater) and caffeine (≥1.3-fold greater) as determined by AUC0-30min and AUC0-60min, as well as significantly faster Tmax for both paracetamol (about 30 minutes faster) and caffeine (≥15 minutes faster) compared to currently marketed Panadol® Extra in both fasted and semi-fed states. The time to reach the therapeutic paracetamol plasma concentration (Tc≥4μg/ml) was about 12 and 33 minutes faster in fasted and semi-fed states respectively. The new formulation was safe and well tolerated. Conclusion: The newly developed RAPC formulation was found to be bioequivalent to Panadol® Extra caplets, and showed significantly faster absorption in both fasted and semi-fed states.