Tumor-targeting albumin nanoparticles as an efficacious drug delivery system and potential diagnostic tool in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer therapy

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2022.102600
• Publication Date: 2022-09-05T18:13:31Z
• Authors: Sneha Sree Mullapudi; Juwita Norasmara ...; Ratha Mahendran; Yew Koon Lim; Lee Ting Ong; Kah Ying Wong; Edmund Chiong; En-Tang Kang; Koon Gee Neoh
• Keywords: Nanocarriers; Urine cytology; Targeted drug delivery

Current intravesical chemotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has limited efficacy due to loss of the instilled agent from urine voiding and the agent's lack of specificity for the tumors. We developed a nanocarrier (txCD47-HNP, ∼100 nm) based on human serum albumin conjugated with a peptide that targets the cluster of differentiation 47 receptor overexpressed on bladder cancer (BC) cells. The IC50 of gemcitabine elaidate (GEM) loaded in the txCD47-HNP was almost an order of magnitude lower than that of free GEM. In a mouse orthotopic BC model, GEM loaded in txCD47-HNP effectively reduced the tumor burden. Tumor cells in BC patients' urine can also be targeted by fluorescence-labeled txCD47-HNP resulting in >83 % of the cells exhibiting fluorescence. Thus, txCD47-HNP can potentially be a theranostic agent in NMIBC management by serving as a targeted drug delivery vehicle as well as an alternative to urine cytology.