Systemic delivery of nanoparticle formulation of novel tubulin inhibitor for treating metastatic melanoma

Clinical translation of tubulin inhibitors for treating melanoma is limited by multidrug efflux transporters, poor aqueous solubility, and dose-limiting peripheral toxicities. Tubulin inhibitors with efficacy in taxane-resistant cancers are promising drug candidates and can be used as single agent or in conjunction with other chemotherapy. Systemic therapy of such a novel tubulin inhibitor, 2-(1H-indol-5-yl)thiazol-4-yl)3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl methanone (abbreviated as LY293), is limited by its poor aqueous solubility. The objective of this study was to design a polymeric nanocarrier for systemic administration of LY293 to improve tumor accumulation and reduce side effects of tubulin inhibitor in a lung metastasis melanoma mouse model. Methoxy polyethylene glycol-b-poly(carbonate-co-lactide) (mPEG-b-P(CB-co-LA)) random copolymer was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Polymeric nanoparticles were formulated using oil/water (o/w) emulsification method with a mean particle size of 150 nm and loading efficiency of 7.40 %. Treatment with LY293-loaded nanoparticles effectively inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro and exhibited concentration-dependent cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase. Mitotic arrest activated the intrinsic apoptotic machinery by increasing the cellular levels of cleaved poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and fraction of sub-G1 cells. In vivo, LY293-loaded nanoparticles significantly inhibited the proliferation of highly aggressive metastasized melanoma in a syngeneic lung metastasis melanoma mouse model without toxicity to vital organs. In conclusion, we have designed a promising polymeric nanocarrier for systemic delivery of LY293 for treating metastatic melanoma while minimizing the toxicity associated with the administration of cosolvents.