New antiglioma zwitterionic pronucleotides with an FdUMP framework

We have designed and synthesized new 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-phosphate pronucleotides which can function as potential agents against the glioblastoma multiforme tumor. Their anti-malignant potency has been tested against T98G, U-118 MG, U-87 MG gliomas, HeLa, and Caco-2 cancer cell lines, using MRC-5 healthy cells as a reference. Five of the sixteen compounds (4c, 4f-i) exhibited significant anticancer potency and high selectivity indices (SI 12-66). It is likely that these zwitterionic pronucleotides may function in a similar manner to zwitterionic phospholipids, by inducing cell membrane charge disorder, making the cell permeable to bioactive agents. The most promising therapeutic pronucleotides 4c, 4f-h, have high intestinal-blood uptake potency (Caco-2 cell line), and may be considered as potential, orally administrated, anticancer drugs.

Effective encapsulation and biological activity of phosphorylated chemotherapeutics in calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles for the treatment of pancreatic cancer

Drug resistant cancers like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are difficult to treat, and nanoparticle drug delivery systems can overcome some of the limitations of conventional systemic chemotherapy. In this study, we demonstrate that FdUMP and dFdCMP, the bioactive, phosphorylated metabolites of the chemotherapy drugs 5-FU and gemcitabine, can be encapsulated into calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles (CPSNPs). The non-phosphorylated drug analogs were not well encapsulated by CPSNPs, suggesting the phosphate modification is essential for effective encapsulation. In vitro proliferation assays, cell cycle analyses and/or thymidylate synthase inhibition assays verified that CPSNP-encapsulated phospho-drugs retained biological activity. Analysis of orthotopic tumors from mice treated systemically with tumor-targeted FdUMP-CPSNPs confirmed the in vivo up take of these particles by PDAC tumor cells and release of active drug cargos intracellularly. These findings demonstrate a novel methodology to efficiently encapsulate chemotherapeutic agents into the CPSNPs and to effectively deliver them to pancreatic tumor cells.