(662d) Photo-Controlled Bcl-2 siRNA and Paclitaxel Co-Delivery Via Azobenzene Based Catanionic Vesicles

The lack of targeted delivery and triggered release during traditional chemotherapy causes high toxicity in the human body and extends the treatment. The usage of nanocarriers for chemotherapeutic drugs aids to increase cancer treatment efficiency. Additionally, a potential therapeutic genetic material, siRNA, can be used to deactivate targeted mRNAs that cause inhibition of disease-associated protein production. The main advantage is using nanocarrier to design certain size nanoparticles that have the tendency of accumulation in tumor cells more than in normal cells. Thus, we have developed a novel method to deliver both siRNA and a chemotherapeutic drug to cancer cells via photo-assisted catanionic vesicles. Spontaneous catanionic self-assemblies are formed upon the interaction of an azobenzene based cationic surfactant and a conventional anionic surfactant. As a result of the photo-responsive property of azobenzene moieties, the photoresponsive mixture microstructure can be switched with light illumination from vesicles to either micelles, lamellar structures, or free surfactant monomers. Specifically, the unique photo-assisted transition of vesicles to free monomers will resolve two major obstacles in cancer treatment such as passive targeting of chemotherapeutics through cancerous cells and triggered release with light illumination. The photoresponsive catanionic vesicles are self-assembled nanocapsules that can be used for encapsulation and controlled release of substances by UV light exposure. In this work, the effect of hydrophobic tail of surfactants on particle size, charge and surface characteristics will be measured by small-angle neutron scattering, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential meter and cryo-transmission electron microscopy to create an ideal delivery vector. Furthermore, the encapsulation efficiency and transfection rates of Bcl-2 siRNA and paclitaxel co-delivery through MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells will be explored. Therefore, azobenzene based catanionic vesicles will be used as a co-delivery tool to develop siRNA based therapeutics with a hydrophobic anticancer drug. It is expected to improve tumor therapeutic efficacy by the usage of the novel photo-assisted catanionic delivery agent.