Endocytosis of ATB0,+(SLC6A14)-targeted liposomes for drug delivery and its therapeutic application for pancreatic cancer

Background SLC6A14 (ATB0,+), a Na+/Cl–coupled transporter for neutral/cationic amino acids, is overexpressed in many cancers; It has been investigated as a target for improved liposomal drug delivery to treat liver cancer.Research design and methods Here we explored the mechanism of ATB0,+-mediated entry of such liposomes. As ATB0,+ is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, we also examined the therapeutic utility of ATB0,+-targeted liposomal drug delivery to treat this cancer.Results The uptake of lysine-conjugated liposomes (LYS-LPs) was greater in ATB0,+-positive MCF7 cells. The uptake process consisted of two steps: binding and internalization. The binding of LYS-LPs to MCF7 cells was higher than that of bare liposomes, and the process was dependent on Na+ and Cl−, and inhibitable by ATB0,+ substrates or blocker. In contrast, the internalization step was independent of lysine. The cellular entry of LYS-LPs facilitated by ATB0,+ occurred via endocytosis with transient endosomal degradation of ATB0,+ protein with subsequent recovery. Moreover, LYS-LPs also enhanced the uptake and cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in these cells in an ATB0,+-dependent manner.Conclusions We conclude that ATB0,+ could be exploited for targeted drug delivery in the form of lysine-conjugated liposomes and that the approach represents a novel strategy for enhanced pancreatic cancer therapy.