A fullerene-paclitaxel chemotherapeutic: synthesis, characterization, and study of biological activity in tissue culture

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Sep 14;127(36):12508-9. doi: 10.1021/ja0546525.

Abstract

A fullerene-paclitaxel conjugate has been synthesized as a slow-release drug for aerosol liposome delivery of paclitaxel for lung cancer therapy. The conjugate was designed to release paclitaxel via enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequently has shown a half-life of release of 80 min in bovine plasma. A liposome formulation of the conjugate has been prepared using dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), and its IC50 is virtually identical to the IC50 for a paclitaxel-DLPC formulation in human epithelial lung carcinoma A549 cells. With both clinically relevant kinetics of hydrolysis and significant cytotoxicity in tissue culture, the conjugate holds promise for enhanced therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / administration & dosage
  • Aerosols / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Fullerenes* / chemistry
  • Fullerenes* / pharmacokinetics
  • Humans
  • Liposomes
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Paclitaxel* / chemical synthesis
  • Paclitaxel* / chemistry
  • Paclitaxel* / pharmacokinetics
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Fullerenes
  • Liposomes
  • Paclitaxel