Strategies for paclitaxel and metformin vehiculation to improve breast cancer therapy: liposomes and dendrimers

• Grant number: 12/21513-3
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2013 - August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Maldonado Marchetti
• Grantee: Juliana Maldonado Marchetti
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Daniel Guimarães Tiezzi

Abstract

Breast cancer represents a severe problem in public health, representing a major cause of death among women. Among the drugs employed in therapy, we highlight paclitaxel, a cytotoxic drug presenting high potency and efficacy, but associated with severe side effects and commercially available in a formulation that presents considerable toxicity. Recently, metformin, tradionally used to treat diabetes, has been investigated as an option to treat cancer, like breast cancer, and promising results have been obtained. Within this context, the association of paclitaxel and metformin could be useful to treat triple negative cases of breast cancer, commonly associated with unfavorable prognosis. Drug delivery systems in nano scale allow the vehiculation of lower and more effective doses of drugs, through the direction of them to the action site, resulting in increased safety and efficacy of drugs. Among the drug delivery systems available, we highlight liposomes, lipid systems, and dendrimers, polymeric systems, which present several advantages, such as the ability to incorporate both hydrophilic and lypophilic drugs and increased biocompatibility and safety. This research project aims at the development of PEGylated liposomes and dendrimers containing paclitaxel and metformin, the morphological and physicochemical characterization of these systems and the evaluation of in vitro release profile of drugs and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the formulations against breast cancer. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ELOY, JOSIMAR O.; PETRILLI, RAQUEL; BRUEGGEMEIER, ROBERT W.; MARCHETTI, JULIANA MALDONADO; LEE, ROBERT J. Rapamycin-loaded Immunoliposomes Functionalized with Trastuzumab: A Strategy to Enhance Cytotoxicity to HER2-positive Breast Cancer Cells. ANTI-CANCER AGENTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, v. 17, n. 1, p. 48-56, 2017. Web of Science Citations: 6.

ELOY, JOSIMAR O.; PETRILLI, RAQUEL; TOPAN, JOSE FERNANDO; RIBEIRO ANTONIO, HERITON MARCELO; ABRIATA BARCELLOS, JULIANA PALMA; CHESCA, DEISE L.; SERAFINI, LUCIANO NEDER; TIEZZI, DANIEL G.; LEE, ROBERT J.; MARCHETTI, JULIANA MALDONADO. Co-loaded paclitaxel/rapamycin liposomes: Development, characterization and in vitro and in vivo evaluation for breast cancer therapy. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 141, p. 74-82, MAY 1 2016. Web of Science Citations: 37.

ELOY, JOSIMAR OLIVEIRA; DE SOUZA, MARINA CLARO; PETRILLI, RAQUEL; ABRIATA BARCELLOS, JULIANA PALMA; LEE, ROBERT J.; MARCHETTI, JULIANA MALDONADO. Liposomes as carriers of hydrophilic small molecule drugs: Strategies to enhance encapsulation and delivery. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 123, p. 345-363, NOV 1 2014. Web of Science Citations: 148.