Noncovalent Assembly of Targeted Carbon Nanovectors Enables Synergistic Drug and Radiation Cancer Therapyᅠin Vivo

Abstract

Current chemotherapeutics are characterized by efficient tumor cell-killing and severe side effects mostly derived from off-target toxicity. Hence targeted delivery of these drugs to tumor cells is actively sought. In anᅠin vitroᅠsystem, we previously demonstrated that targeted drug delivery to cancer cells overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR+) can be achieved by poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized carbon nanovectors simply mixed with a drug, paclitaxel, and an antibody that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor, cetuximab. This construct is unusual in that all three components are assembled through noncovalent interactions. Here we show that this same construct is effectiveᅠin vivo, enhancing radiotherapy of EGFR+ tumors. This targeted nanovector system has the potential to be a new therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, deserving of further preclinical development.

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Sano, Daisuke, Berlin, Jacob M., Pham, Tam T., et al.. "Noncovalent Assembly of Targeted Carbon Nanovectors Enables Synergistic Drug and Radiation Cancer Therapyᅠin Vivo." ACS Nano, 6, no. 3 (2012) American Chemical Society: 2497-2505. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn204885f.

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