PLGA-PEG-COOH from PolySciTech used in the development of Salinomycin-loaded nanoparticle-based ovarian cancer treatment

Like other tissues, cancer has stem cells as part of its growth. In the case of cancer, these stem cells serve to allow the disease to regrow even if the main tumor is destroyed by traditional therapy. One therapeutic approach is to target the stem-cells thus preventing cancer from re-growing. Recently, researchers at Hubei University of Medicine and Wuhan University (China) used PLGA-PEG-COOH (PolyVivo AI034) from PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) to generate CD133 targeted nanoparticles for delivering Salinomycin to ovarian cancer stem cells. This research holds promise for improved therapeutic strategies for this potentially fatal form of cancer. Read more: Mi, Yi, Yuqin Huang, and Jie Deng “The enhanced delivery of salinomycin to CD133+ ovarian cancer stem cells through CD133 antibody conjugation with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles” Oncology Letters 2018,  DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8140 https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/ol.2018.8140

“Abstract: Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, and ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) serve a pivotal function in the metastasis and recurrence of ovarian cancer. Multiple previous studies have validated CD133 as a marker of ovarian CSCs. Although salinomycin is a promising therapeutic agent that has been demonstrated to kill CSCs in various types of cancer, poor aqueous solubility hampers its clinical application. The present study used salinomycin‑loaded poly(lactic‑co‑glycolic acid)‑poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles conjugated with CD133 antibodies (CD133‑SAL‑NP) to eliminate CD133+ ovarian CSCs. The results revealed that CD133‑SAL‑NPs were of an appropriate size (149.2 nm) and exhibited sustained drug release. CD133‑SAL‑NPs efficiently bound to CD133+ ovarian cancer cells, resulting in an increased cytotoxic effect in CD133+ ovarian cancer cells, compared with the untargeted SAL‑NPs and salinomycin. CD133‑SAL‑NPs reduced the percentage of CD133+ ovarian CSCs in ovarian cells more effectively than treatment with salinomycin or SAL‑NPs, suggesting that CD133‑SAL‑NP targeted CD133+ ovarian CSCs. In nude mice bearing ovarian cancer xenografts, CD133‑SAL‑NPs exerted improved therapeutic effects compared with SAL‑NPs and salinomycin. Thus, CD133 was demonstrated to be a promising target for drug delivery to ovarian CSCs, and may be useful as an agent to inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer by targeting CD133+ ovarian CSCs. CD133‑SAL‑NPs may therefore represent a promising approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.”