pH-Sensitive Twin Liposomes Containing Quercetin and Laccase for Tumor Therapy
Yoonyoung Kim, Kyung Taek Oh, Yu Seok Youn, Eun Seong Lee
Abstract
In this study, functional twin liposomes (TLs) were designed by linking avidin-anchored single liposomes and biotin-anchored single liposomes via avidin-biotin interactions. Here, we first punched a hole on the liposome surface using the liposome magnetoporation method to prepare functional single liposomes, which were used for safely encapsulating quercetin (QER, as a model prodrug) or laccase (LAC, as a bioactive enzyme) inside the liposomes without the use of organic solvents; the pores were then plugged by pH-sensitive glycol chitosan grafted with 3-diethylaminopropylamine (GDEAP) and avidin (or biotin). As a result, single liposomes with QER and biotin-GDEAP were efficiently coupled with other liposomes with LAC and avidin-GDEAP. We demonstrated that the TLs could accelerate QER and LAC release at acidic pH (6.8), improving the LAC-mediated oxidization of QER and significantly elevating tumor cell death, suggesting that this strategy can be used as an efficient method for the programmed action of prodrugs.