Peptide-Functionalized Nanoparticles for the Targeted Delivery of Cytotoxins to MMP-14-Expressing Cancer Cells

As 90% of cancer-patient deaths are due to metastasis, novel therapeutics that selectively target and kill metastatic cells desperately needed. Matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), which plays a critical role in digesting the basement membrane inducing cancer cell migration, has been found be expressed at surface circulating metastasized tumor various human cancers. We have recently shown IVS4 peptide, mimics minimal binding motif hemopexin-like (PEX) domain MMP-14, interrupts MMP-14 dimerization decreases MMP-14-mediated invasion. In this study, cancer-homing nanocarriers were assembled by linking polysaccharide-based nanoparticles (NPs), followed encapsulation pharmaceutical agent. IVS4-NPs efficiently prevented migration conferred an uptake advantage compared control peptide MMP-14-dependent manner. While alone not cytotoxic, drug-encapsulated NPs effectively MMP-14-expressing cells. This nanotherapeutic is capable inhibiting functions killing cells, without affecting viability non-cancer