pH-responsive starch microparticles for a tumor-targeting implant

Much progress has been made toward stimuli-responsive polysaccharide-based selective tumor therapy not only because polysaccharides have nontoxic biodegradability and biocompatibility but also because their stimuli-sensitive characteristics enable the proper transport of payloads into tumors. Here, we attempted to deliver an antitumor drug, doxorubicin (DOX), using starch-based microparticles coupled with pH-responsive 3-(diethylamino)propylamine. The microparticles of starch conjugated with 3-(diethylamino)propylamine (SDEAP) allowed for the change in hydrophobicity of SDEAPs in a pH-dependent manner. The results revealed that SDEAPs effectively carried and released DOX and selectively killed tumor cells under acidic condition. Overall, this study suggests that DOX-loaded SDEAPs can be further explored as a strategy for applications to acidic tumor-targeting implants owing to the drug-deliver efficiency and tumor selectivity.