EGFR-targeting peptide conjugated polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles for delivery of salinomycin to osteosarcoma

Context: Salinomycin (SAL) is a chemotherapeutic drug with anti-osteosarcoma efficacy, but its hydrophobic properties have hindered its application. Nanoparticles have been widely used as drug carriers to improve the solubility of hydrophobic drugs. The dodecapeptide GE11 has been shown to have great binding affinity to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is highly overexpressed in osteosarcoma. Materials and Methods: We designed novel SAL-loaded GE11-conjugated polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (GE11-NPs-SAL) to target osteosarcoma. The characterization and antitumor activity of GE11-NPs-SAL were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Results: The results showed that GE11-NPs-SAL had a size of similar to 100 nm with a high encapsulation efficacy of similar to 80%. Compared with the non-targeted nanoparticles, GE11-NPs-SAL showed increased internalization in osteosarcoma cells and improved therapeutic efficacy in osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: GE11-NPs-SAL is a promising treatment for osteosarcoma.