A specific peptide ligand-modified lipid nanoparticle carrier for the inhibition of tumor metastasis growth.

Tumor metastasis accounts for 90% of cancer-associated deaths and is almost inaccessible by chemotherapy, surgical operation or radiotherapy. Here, a tumor metastasis-specific nanocarrier system has been constructed by modification of stealth lipid nanoparticles with a specific peptide ligand. Highly metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 that stably expressed luciferase (MDA-MB-231/Luc) was used as tumor cell model. The nanocarrier was very specific for highly metastatic cancer cells in vitro and could specifically target to cancer metastases foci following systemic administration in vivo by both fluorescence imaging and bioluminescence imaging compared to a passive-targeted system. It greatly facilitated the efficacy of doxorubicin loaded in inhibiting tumor metastasis growth and prolonging the survival time of mice. Importantly, this system was also found to prevent the initiation and progression of tumor metastasis. The tumor metastasis-targeted nanocarriers hold great potential in the treatment of cancer metastasis foci and even for the prevention of tumor metastasis. This study may also provide new strategy in the development of nanomedicine for diagnosis and therapy of tumor metastasis.