Self-assembled squalenoyl-cytarabine nanostructures as a potent nanomedicine for treatment of leukemic diseases

Donato Cosco,¹ Flavio Rocco,² Maurizio Ceruti,² Margherita Vono,¹ Massimo Fresta,^1,3 Donatella Paolino<sup>1,3

1</sup>Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Græcia", Catanzaro; ²Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Torino; ³UOC Farmacia Ospedaliera Fondazione per la Ricerca e la Cura dei Tumori "Tommaso Campanella", Campus Universitario "S Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy

Background: In this investigation, the antileukemic activity of a new nanomedicine based on the conjugation of 1,1',2-tris-nor-squalenic acid with cytarabine (Ara-C) was evaluated.
Methods: Squalenoyl-Ara-C conjugate (Sq-Ara-C) self-assembled nanosystems were obtained by the nanoprecipitation method and characterized in vitro and in vivo.
Results: This new nanomedicine, which had a mean diameter of approximately 150 nm, improved the in vitro antitumoral activity of Ara-C in different cancer cell lines (L1210, K562, and MCF-7). Sq-Ara-C nanomedicine allowed reduction of the IC₅₀ value with respect to the free drug and was also active against drug-resistant leukemic cells (L1210R). A noticeable increase in the survival rate of mice with aggressive metastatic L1210R leukemia was observed after treatment with Sq-Ara-C (50 mg/kg) as compared with the free active compound (100 mg/kg). Finally, evaluation of the biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles of the drug demonstrated that these nanoaggregates preferentially localized to the liver and spleen, and protected the drug from physiological metabolism.
Conclusion: Squalenoylation of cytarabine offers several pharmacological benefits both in vitro and in vivo.

Keywords: squalenoyl-cytarabine, self-assembly, antitumoral nanomedicine, leukemia, nanoaggregate, biodistribution