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A Rapid Albumin-Binding 5-fluorouracil Prodrug With a Prolonged Circulation Time and Enhanced Antitumor Activity

Dongyang Zhao, Huicong Zhang, Wenhui Tao, Wei Wei, Jin Sun, Zhonggui He

Biomater Sci. 2017 Feb 28;5(3):502-510.

PMID: 28116362

Abstract:

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite widely used in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors. However, its clinical applications are greatly hindered by a very short residence time in blood circulation and non-specific distribution in the body. In order to overcome these challenges, 1-alkylcarbonyloxymethyl 5-FU was designed and linked with a maleimide group to form an albumin-binding 5-FU prodrug, named EMC-5-FU. In vitro incubation with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fresh rat blood proved that the prodrug bound rapidly to cysteine-34 to form the drug-albumin conjugate nanomedicine. The conjugate BSA-EMC-5-FU was stable under acidic and neutral conditions but an unstable compound to release 5-FU in alkaline solution, and such a property was used for the determination of total 5-FU concentration in plasma. The t1/2 and AUC values of total 5-FU after an intravenous injection of EMC-5-FU to SD rats were significantly increased, about 43-fold and 93-fold higher than those of 5-FU following 5-FU intravenous administration, respectively. In vivo fluorescence images of EMC-Cy5 indirectly demonstrated the selective tumor accumulation of EMC-5-FU. In H22 tumor-bearing mice models, treatment with EMC-5-FU was more efficacious in tumor inhibition compared to 5-FU intravenous administration. In conclusion, a rapid albumin-binding prodrug strategy addresses concerns related to the poor circulation half-life and non-specific distribution of anticancer drugs, and paves the way for the development of in vivo-forming nanomedicines in clinical cancer therapy.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number Product Name Structure CAS Number Price
AP67527 Fluorouracil Related Compound A Fluorouracil Related Compound A 67-52-7 Price
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