Self-assembled doxorubicin prodrug riding on the albumin express train enable tumor targeting and bio-activation.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a vital anthracycline chemotherapeutic drug, yet presenting significant challenges due to its severe cardiotoxicity. While Doxil enhances the pharmacokinetics and reduces the cardiotoxicity of DOX solution (DOX sol), it shows limitations of low drug loading capacity and inadequate cellular uptake. To overcome these issues, this study developed a novel disulfide bond-linked DOX-maleimide prodrug (DSSM).

Endocytosis-mediated triple-activable prodrug nanotherapeutics potentiating therapeutic efficacy and security towards solid tumors.

Self-assembling prodrug nanotherapeutics have emerged as a promising nanoplatform for anticancer drug delivery. The specific and efficient activation of prodrug nanotherapeutics inside tumor cells is vital for the antitumor efficacy and security. Herein, a triple-activable prodrug polymer (TAP) is synthesized by conjugating polyethylene glycol-poly-(caprolactone)-paclitaxel (PTX) polymer with two tumor-responsive bonds, disulfide and acetal.