摘要:
Specific drug delivery to tumor cells without affecting normal cells is a major challenge in cancer treatment. The present invention incorporates embedding nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) containing an anti-cancer therapeutic agent with chlorotoxin into a thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel network. Chitosan has mucoadhesive property which can be used in the targeting of the tumor cells with the mucin over expression. Chlorotoxin is a 36 amino acid peptide obtained from Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion venom which binds preferentially to tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin but not to normal cells. The incorporation of chlorotoxin along with niosomes in the chitosan hydrogel is used as the second targeting strategy to further improve the specific delivery of drugs to tumor cells such as glioma.