[12]aneN3-modified camptothecin and PEGylated AIEgens co-assembly into core–shell nanoparticles with ROS/NTR dual-response for enhanced cancer therapy

A novel dual-responsive nanoparticle (NP) system was aimed to be developed for the co-delivery of camptothecin (CPT) and plasmid encoding TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (pTRAIL) DNA in cancer therapy. The combination of the prodrug CPT and the nucleic acid condensing di-(triazole-[12]aneN3) unit with 4-nitrobenzyl ester through alkyl chains resulted in three nitroreductase (NTR) responsive amphiphiles, CNN1-CNN3 (with 5, 8, and 11 carbon chains, respectively). Among them, CNN2 was the most effective in inhibiting the proliferation of HeLa cells in the presence of fusogenic lipid DOPE. The NPs composed of CNN2, pDNA, and DOPE were further co-assembled with ROS-responsive thioketal-linked amphiphilic polymer (TTP) to afford the core-shell NPs (CNN2-DT/pDNA) with an average size of 118 nm, which exhibited high drug-loading capacity, excellent serum tolerance, and good biocompatibility. In the presence of ROS, NTR, and NADH, the core-shell NPs were decomposed, leading to the efficient release of 80% CPT and abundant pDNA. The self-assembly and delivery process of CNN2-DT NPs and DNA were clearly observed through the AIE fluorescent imaging. In vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the CNN2-DT/pTRAIL NPs synergistically promoted 68% apoptosis of tumor cells and inhibited tumor growth with negligible toxic side effects. This study showed that the combination of prodrug and nucleic acid through dual-responsive core-shell NPs provide a spatially and temporally-controlled strategy for cancer therapy.