Highly Stable PEGylated Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) Nanoparticles for the Effective Delivery of Docetaxel in Prostate Cancers

In the present study, a highly stable luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-conjugated PEGylated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were developed for the successful treatment of prostate cancers. We have demonstrated that a unique combination of targeted drug delivery and controlled drug release is effective against prostate cancer therapy. The docetaxel (DTX)/PLGA-LHRH micelles possessed a uniform spherical shape with an average diameter of ~170 nm. The micelles exhibited a controlled drug release for up to 96 h which can minimize the non-specific systemic spread of toxic drugs during circulation while maximizing the efficiency of tumor-targeted drug delivery. The LHRH-conjugated micelles showed enhanced cellular uptake and exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity against LNCaP cancer cells. We have showed that PLGA-LHRH induced greater caspase-3 activity indicating its superior apoptosis potential. Consistently, LHRH-conjugated micelles induced threefold and twofold higher G2/M phase arrest than compared to free DTX or PLGA NP-treated groups. Overall, results indicate that use of LHRH-conjugated nanocarriers may potentially be an effective nanocarrier to effectively treat prostate cancer.