pH-sensitive and redox-responsive poly(tetraethylene glycol) nanoparticle-based platform for cancer treatment

Effective drug delivery with precise tumour targeting is crucial for cancer treatment. To address the challenges posed by the specificity and complexity of the tumour microenvironment, we developed a poly(tetraethylene glycol)-based disulfide nanoparticle platform and explored its potential in cancer treatment, focusing on drug loading and controlled release performance. Poly(tetraethylene glycol) nanoparticles were characterised using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Additionally, we evaluated physicochemical properties, including dynamic light scattering, zeta potential analysis, drug loading capacity, and drug loading efficiency. The impact of nanoparticles on the mouse colorectal cancer cell line (CT26) and NIH3T3 cells was assessed using a cytotoxicity assay, live/dead staining assay, flow cytometry, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. The experimental results align with the expected chemical structure and physicochemical properties of poly(tetraethylene glycol) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles exhibit high drug loading efficiency (78.7%) and drug loading capacity (12%), with minimal changes in particle size over time in different media. In vitro experiments revealed that the nanoparticles can induce significant cytotoxicity and apoptosis in CT26 cells. Cellular uptake notably increases with increasing concentration and exposure time. The confocal microscopic analysis confirmed the effective distribution and accumulation of nanoparticles within cells. In conclusion, poly(tetraethylene glycol) nanoparticles hold promise for improving drug-delivery efficiency, offering potential advancements in cancer treatment.