1
|
Bernardi M, Signore G, Moscardini A, Pugliese LA, Pesce L, Beltram F, Cardarelli F. Fluorescence Lifetime Nanoscopy of Liposomal Irinotecan Onivyde: From Manufacturing to Intracellular Processing. ACS Appl Bio Mater 2023; 6:4277-4289. [PMID: 37699572 PMCID: PMC10583229 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Onivyde was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 for the treatment of solid tumors, including metastatic pancreatic cancer. It is designed to encapsulate irinotecan at high concentration, increase its blood-circulation lifetime, and deliver it to cells where it is enzymatically converted into SN-38, a metabolite with 100- to 1000-fold higher anticancer activity. Despite a rewarding clinical path, little is known about the physical state of encapsulated irinotecan within Onivyde and how this synthetic identity changes throughout the process from manufacturing to intracellular processing. Herein, we exploit irinotecan intrinsic fluorescence and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to selectively probe the supramolecular organization of the drug. FLIM analysis on the manufacturer's formulation reveals the presence of two coexisting physical states within Onivyde liposomes: (i) gelated/precipitated irinotecan and (ii) liposome-membrane-associated irinotecan, the presence of which is not inferable from the manufacturer's indications. FLIM in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a membrane-impermeable dynamic quencher of irinotecan reveals rapid (within minutes) and complete chemical dissolution of the gelated/precipitated phase upon Onivyde dilution in standard cell-culturing medium with extensive leakage of the prodrug from liposomes. Indeed, confocal imaging and cell-proliferation assays show that encapsulated and nonencapsulated irinotecan formulations are similar in terms of cell-uptake mechanism and cell-division inhibition. Finally, 2-channel FLIM analysis discriminates the signature of irinotecan from that of its red-shifted SN-38 metabolite, demonstrating the appearance of the latter as a result of Onivyde intracellular processing. The findings presented in this study offer fresh insights into the synthetic identity of Onivyde and its transformation from production to in vitro administration. Moreover, these results serve as another validation of the effectiveness of FLIM analysis in elucidating the supramolecular organization of encapsulated fluorescent drugs. This research underscores the importance of leveraging advanced imaging techniques to deepen our understanding of drug formulations and optimize their performance in delivery applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Bernardi
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Signore
- Biochemistry
Unit, Department of Biology, University
of Pisa, via San Zeno
51, 56123 Pisa, Italy
- Institute
of Clinical Physiology, National Research
Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Aldo Moscardini
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Licia Anna Pugliese
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Pesce
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Beltram
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- NEST,
Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza S. Silvestro, 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- Scuola
Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- NEST,
Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza S. Silvestro, 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|