Mesenchymal Stem Cell Membrane-Coated TPCS<sub>2a</sub>-Loaded Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Photodynamic Therapy

oleh: Greta Avancini, Luca Menilli, Adele Visentin, Celeste Milani, Francesca Mastrotto, Francesca Moret

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-06-01

Deskripsi

Despite substantial improvements in breast cancer (BC) treatment there is still an urgent need to find alternative treatment options to improve the outcomes for patients with advanced-stage disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is gaining a lot of attention as a BC therapeutic option because of its selectivity and low off-target effects. However, the hydrophobicity of photosensitizers (PSs) impairs their solubility and limits the circulation in the bloodstream, thus representing a major challenge. The use of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) to encapsulate the PS may represent a valuable strategy to overcome these issues. Herein, we developed a novel biomimetic PDT nanoplatform (NPs) based on a polymeric core of poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid (PLGA) loaded with the PS meso-tetraphenylchlorin disulfonate (TPCS<sub>2a</sub>). TPCS<sub>2a</sub>@NPs of 98.89 ± 18.56 nm with an encapsulation efficiency percentage (EE%) of 81.9 ± 7.92% were obtained and coated with mesenchymal stem cells-derived plasma membranes (mMSCs) (mMSC-TPCS<sub>2a</sub>@NPs, size of 139.31 ± 12.94 nm). The mMSC coating armed NPs with biomimetic features to impart long circulation times and tumor-homing capabilities. In vitro, biomimetic mMSC-TPCS<sub>2a</sub>@NPs showed a decrease in macrophage uptake of 54% to 70%, depending on the conditions applied, as compared to uncoated TPCS<sub>2a</sub>@NPs. Both NP formulations efficiently accumulated in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 BC cells, while the uptake was significantly lower in normal breast epithelial MCF10A cells with respect to tumor cells. Moreover, encapsulation of TPCS<sub>2a</sub> in mMSC-TPCS<sub>2a</sub>@NPs effectively prevents its aggregation, ensuring efficient singlet oxygen (<sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub>) production after red light irradiation, which resulted in a considerable in vitro anticancer effect in both BC cell monolayers (IC<sub>50</sub> < 0.15 µM) and three-dimensional spheroids.