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Research Article

Internalization and biodistribution of polymersomes into oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

    Craig Murdoch

    School of Clinical Dentistry, Unit of Oral & Maxillofacial Medicine & Surgery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Kim J Reeves

    Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Vanessa Hearnden

    School of Clinical Dentistry, Unit of Oral & Maxillofacial Medicine & Surgery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Helen Colley

    School of Clinical Dentistry, Unit of Oral & Maxillofacial Medicine & Surgery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Marzia Massignani

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Irene Canton

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Jeppe Madsen

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Adam Blanazs

    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Steve P Armes

    Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Andrew L Lewis

    Biocompatibles UK Ltd, Farnham, Surrey, UK

    ,
    Sheila MacNeil

    Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Nicola J Brown

    Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    ,
    Martin H Thornhill

    School of Clinical Dentistry, Unit of Oral & Maxillofacial Medicine & Surgery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    &
    Giuseppe Battaglia

    † Author for correspondence

    Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/nnm.10.97

    The prognosis for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is not improving despite advances in surgical treatment. As with many cancers, there is a need to deliver therapeutic agents with greater efficiency into OSCC to improve treatment and patient outcome. The development of polymersomes offers a novel way to deliver therapy directly into tumor cells. Here we examined the internalization and biodistribution of two different fluorescently labeled polymersome formulations; polyethylene oxide (PEO)-poly 2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDPA) and poly 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (PMPC)-PDPA, into SCC4 OSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. In vitro SCC4 monolayers internalized PMPC–PDPA and PEO–PDPA at similar rates. However, in vivo PMPC–PDPA polymersomes penetrated deeper and were more widely dispersed in SCC4 tumors than PEO–PDPA polymersomes. In the liver and spleen PMPC–PDPA mainly accumulated in tissue macrophages. However, in tumors PMPC–PDPA was found extensively in the nucleus and cytoplasm of tumor cells as well as in tumor-associated macrophages. Use of PMPC–PDPA polymersomes may enhance polymersome-mediated antitumor therapy.

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