Novel Dual Mitochondrial and CD44 Receptor Targeting Nanoparticles for Redox Stimuli-Triggered Release

In this work, novel mitochondrial and CD44 receptor dual-targeting redox-sensitive multifunctional nanoparticles (micelles) based on oligomeric hyaluronic acid (oHA) were proposed. The amphiphilic nanocarrier was prepared by (5-carboxypentyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP), oligomeric hyaluronic acid (oHA), disulfide bond, and curcumin (Cur), named as TPP-oHA-S-S-Cur. The TPP targeted the mitochondria, the antitumor drug Cur served as a hydrophobic core, the CD44 receptor targeting oHA worked as a hydrophilic shell, and the disulfide bond acted as a connecting arm. The chemical structure of TPP-oHA-S-S-Cur was characterized by 1HNMR technology. Cur was loaded into the TPP-oHA-S-S-Cur micelles by self-assembly. Some properties, including the preparation of micelles, morphology, redox sensitivity, and mitochondrial targeting, were studied. The results showed that TPP-oHA-S-S-Cur micelles had a mean diameter of 122.4 ± 23.4 nm, zeta potential − 26.55 ± 4.99 mV. In vitro release study and cellular uptake test showed that TPP-oHA-S-S-Cur micelles had redox sensibility, dual targeting to mitochondrial and CD44 receptor. This work provided a promising smart multifunctional nanocarrier platform to enhance the solubility, decrease the side effects, and improve the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs.