Cyclodextrin-based photoactive liposomal nanoparticles for tumor targeting

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative cancer treatment which offers a more targeted and less invasive treatment regimen compared to traditional modalities. Temoporfin (mTHPC, medicinal product name: Foscan®), is one of the most potent clinically approved PS. However, its poor solubility in aqueous medium caused several complications of its administration. The present study is aimed at the development of drug-in-cyclodextrin-in-liposome (DCL) nanoparticles by coupling two independent delivery systems: cyclodextrin/mTHPC inclusion complexes and liposomal vesicles to improve the transport and penetration of mTHPC to the target tissue. The formation of inclusion complexes between cyclodextrins and mTHPC was studied in detail. Based on these data, single and double loaded mTHPC-DCLs have been prepared, optimized and characterized. It was demonstrated that mTHPC-DCLs are stable and almost all mTHPC is bound to β-CDs in the inner aqueous liposome lumen. The influence of DCLs on mTHPC accumulation, distribution and photodynamic efficiency was studied in human adenocarcinoma HT29 cellular monolayer and spheroid models. Using 3D multicellular HT29 tumor spheroids we demonstrated that trimethyl-β-CD-based DCL provides homogenous accumulation of mTHPC across tumor spheroid volume thus supposing optimal mTHPC distribution.