Enhanced delivery of Paclitaxel using electrostatically-conjugated Herceptin-bearing PEI/PLGA nanoparticles against HER-positive breast cancer cells.

We have developed a novel nanoparticle delivery system fabricated from polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), which were able to deliver the chemotherapeutic agent Paclitaxel, while the biomacromolecule Herceptin acted as a targeting ligand that was conjugated onto the surfaces of the nanoparticles via electrostatic interactions. In this study, these electrostatically-conjugated Herceptin-bearing PEI/PLGA nanoparticles (eHER-PPNs) were optimized and employed as vectors to target HER2-positive breast cancer cells. The eHER-PPNs had an average diameter of ∼ 280 nm and a neutral surface charge (1.