Anti-CD24 Nano-targeted Delivery of Docetaxel for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Abstract Nanoparticle (NP)-mediated, noninvasively targeted and image-guided therapies have potential to improve efficacy and safety of cancer therapeutics. We report synthesis and use of poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) NPs for targeted delivery of docetaxel. We synthesized docetaxel encapsulated NPs conjugated to anti-CD24 (for targeting) and/or an optical probe (for tracking) and evaluated efficacy in a prostate cancer mouse model. We observed preferential accumulation of anti-CD24 conjugated NPs (encapsulating docetaxel) compared to the non-conjugated NPs 24 hours after a single injection into luciferase-expressing PC3M prostate cancer tumor. In the same mouse model, we found significant ( P < 0.01) accumulation of docetaxel (~10-fold higher) in tumor after treatment with PLGA-PEG NPs encapsulating docetaxel and conjugated to anti-CD24 compared to non-conjugated NPs. Enhanced accumulation was associated with reduced tumor mass and tumor viability. These data support the potential impact of nano-targeted delivery of chemotherapy in enhancing the differential tumor delivery and anticancer efficacy in prostate cancer.