Antinucleosome antibody-modified liposomes and lipid-core micelles for tumor-targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents.

Liposomes and lipid-core micelles prepared of polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) conjugates have been modified with nucleosome-specific monoclonal antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) 2C5 (mAb 2C5) specifically recognizing a broad variety of cancer cells through the cancer cell surface-bound nucleosomes. mAb 2C5 preserves its specific properties upon the binding with the lipid-based pharmaceutical nanocarriers, and 2C5-modified immunoliposomes and immunomicelles demonstrate an enhanced binding with tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. We have investigated the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents with such tumor-targeted immunoliposomes and immunomicelles to various tumors in vivo and in vitro. Both lipid-based nanocarriers provided enhanced tumor delivery of imaging agents ((111)In) and antitumor drugs (doxorubicin and photodynamic therapy agents) to tumor cells under different experimental settings. Pharmaceutical lipid-based nanoparticular carriers modified with mAb 2C5 could represent universal systems for tumor-specific delivery of various soluble and insoluble pharmaceuticals.