Abstract
Background: Yessotoxin (YTX), a marine-derived drug, was encapsulated in PEGylated pH-sensitive nanoliposomes, covalently functionalized (strategy I) with SDF-1αand by nonspecific adsorption (strategy II), to actively target chemokine receptor CXCR-4. Methods: Cytotoxicity to normal human epithelial cells (HK-2) andprostate (PC-3) and breast (MCF-7) adenocarcinoma models, with different expression levels of CXCR-4, weretested. Results: Strategy II exerted the highest cytotoxicity toward cancer cells while protecting normal epithelia. Acid pH-induced fusion of nanoliposomes seemed to serve as a primary route of entry into MCF-7 cells but PC-3 data support an endocytic pathway for their internalization. Conclusion: This work describes an innovative hallmark in the current marine drug clinical pipeline, as the developed nanoliposomes are promising candidates in the design of groundbreaking marine flora-derived anticancer nanoagents.
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