Targeted Delivery of Cargoes into a Murine Solid Tumor by a Cell-Penetrating Peptide and Cleavable Poly(ethylene glycol) Comodified Liposomal Delivery System via Systemic Administration

A liposomal delivery system with a high efficiency of accumulation in tumor tissue and then transportation of the cargo into tumor cells was developed here and evaluated via systemic administration. 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine-poly(ethylene glycol)2000 (DSPE-PEG(2000))-TAT and protective DSPE-PEG(2000) modified liposomes possessing good stability in 50% FBS (fetal bovine serum) and good uptake efficiency were used as the basic formulation (TAT-SL; SL = stealth liposome), and then longer cysteine (Cys)-cleavable PEG(5000) was incorporated to modulate the function of TAT. All of the formulations to be used in vivo had sizes in a range of 80-100 nm and were stable in the presence of 50% FBS. Optical imaging showed that the incorporation of cleavable PEG(5000) into TAT-SL (i.e., C-TAT-SL) led to much more tumor accumulation and much less liver distribution compared with TAT-SL. The in vivo delivery profiles of C-TAT-SL were investigated using DiD as a fluorescent probe. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry showed that C-TAT-SL had a 48% higher (p < 0.001) delivery efficiency in the absence of Cys and a 130% higher (p < 0.001) delivery efficiency in the presence of Cys than the control (SL), indicating the successful targeted delivery of cargo was achieved by C-TAT-SL via systemic administration especially with a subsequent administration of Cys.