Stable Colloids of Paclitaxel Nanoparticles Coated with PEGylated Polyelectrolyte Shells

ABSTRACTA novel nanoparticulated form of the poorly water-soluble anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) suitable for intravenous administration has been developed using sonication-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. The nanoparticles contain up to 70 wt.% of the drug and consist of 150-180 nm solid crystal paclitaxel cores coated with 20-30 nm thick shells of alternative layers of PEGylated poly-L-lysine and heparin. Dispersions of PTX nanoparticles are stable in different biological solvents at concentrations up to 5 mg/ml. Intravenous administration of the LbL-coated nano-crystalline PTX to mice via tail injection provided the preliminary confirmation of their safety and tolerability.