The influence of nanocarrier architectures on antitumor efficacy of docetaxel nanoparticles

To study the structural influence, hybrid amphiphilic copolymer (G2C(18)) and linear amphiphilic copolymer (PEG(45)C(18)) were utilized to prepare docetaxel (DTX)-loaded nanoparticles through an antisolvent precipitation method. The different architectures of the hydrophilic portion affected the particle sizes significantly, and then induced the different antitumor activity. Compared with DTX/PEG(45)C(18) nanoparticles, the antitumor efficacy of DTX/G2C(18) nanoparticles was significantly enhanced, the IC(50) value was 2.1-fold lower in vitro, and the inhibition rate was 1.3-fold higher in vivo. These results suggested that the antitumor activity was significantly affected by the architecture of the nanocarriers, and should be considered when nanocarriers are designed.