Lymphatic targeting of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether using poly (butyl-cyanoacrylate) based nanoparticle drug delivery system

The traditional treatment has inevitable drawbacks of nonspecific lymph targeting, poor therapeutic efficiency and residual metastatic for advanced cancer patients with lymph node metastases. To overcome these shortcomings, we prepare a nano-carrier drug delivery system. Photosensitizer hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME)-loaded poly ( n -butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCA-NPs) was prepared successfully. The particle size was approximately 160 nm, the envelopment rate was 87.9%, and the drug loading rate was about 13.4%. The drug release study in vitro showed that the cumulative release rates of HMME-PBCA-NPs group was much less than free HMME group. The drug distribution in different tissues showed that the peak-reach time was 3 h in free HMME group and 6 h in nanoparticles group. All of these results confirmed the slow release characteristic of nanoparticles. In lymph node tissues, the HMME concentrations in HMME-PBCA-NPs group were much higher than those of the free HMME group at any time points we tested, in which the maximum difference concentration of HMME appeared at 6 h (1.2884 ± 0.04695 vs. 0.0438 ± 0.00558 µg/mg) after drug delivery. The mesenteric lymph nodes of rabbits were enlarged obviously in the NP group than in free HMME group at 6 h after drug delivery. All of these results confirmed the slow release characteristic and the lymphatic targeting characteristic of nanoparticles. In summary, we developed a lymphatic targeting nanoparticles drug delivery system successfully, which showed perfect lymph targeting and has the potential to be a new therapy strategy for advanced cancer patients with lymph node metastasis.