Tumor-targeted drug delivery systems and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to targeted delivery systems for delivering therapeutic agents to tumor. The invention further relates to methods of delivering a therapeutic agent to a tumor for the prevention and treatment of cancer by killing tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells. In particular, the present invention provides a tumor-targeted drug delivery system comprising a NGR-containing molecule linked to a delivery vehicle encapsulating a therapeutic agent, preferably a drug, such as a cytotoxic agent or a chemotherapeutic agent. Specifically, the delivery systems of the present invention are capable of delivering an increased amount of therapeutic agent to a tumor as compared to other delivery systems. In particular, the delivery systems of the present invention are capable of accumulating a higher amount of therapeutic agent in a tumor, or in the vicinity of a tumor cell or tumor-supporting cell, resulting in exposure of the tumor cell and tumor-associated endothelial cell to therapeutic levels of the agent for a longer period of time as compared to other delivery systems. The present invention also describes pharmaceutical compositions comprising the delivery systems of the present invention. The present invention further relates to a tumor treatment comprising an increased amount of therapeutic agent delivered by the system of the present invention as compared to other delivery systems. The delivery systems and pharmaceutical compositions can be administered to a subject, preferably a human, alone or in combination, sequentially or simultaneously, with other prophylactic or therapeutic agents and/or anti-cancer treatments.

1 . A method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a patient in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of a drug delivery composition comprising an NGR-containing molecule, wherein said NGR-containing molecule comprises a NGR amino acid sequence motif and a TNF amino terminal sequence wherein said TNF amino terminal sequence consists of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7, and wherein said NGR-containing molecule is covalently attached to an encapsulating delivery vehicle comprising the therapeutic agent. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a cytotoxic agent. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a cancer chemotherapeutic agent 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a microtubule inhibitor. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is doxorubicin, vincristine, mitoxantrone, calicheamincin, Iressa or Gleevec. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is an anti-inflammatory drug, an anti-angiogenic drug, a pro-angiogenic drug or an angiolytic drug. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is an oligonucleotide. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent inhibits angiogenesis. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said patient has cancer. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said patient has a condition associated with angiogenesis. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said patient has a condition associated with inflammation. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cancer is breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma, kaposi's sarcoma, kidney cancer, or ovarian cancer. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery vehicle is a liposome, micelle, lipidic micelle, microsphere, nanosphere, chambered microdevice, emulsion, lipid disc, polymer, cell, viral particle, or virus. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said liposome comprises amino-polyethylene glycol phosphatidylethanolamine, methoxy-polyethylene glycol phosphatidylethanolamine, maleimido-polyethylene glycol phosphatidylethanolamine, N-methylpalmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylglycerol, palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine distearoylphosphatidylcholine, diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, cholesterol, derivatives thereof, or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the NGR amino acid sequence motif comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:8. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule consists of an NGR amino acid sequence motif and the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said NGR-containing molecule is attached to the external surface of an encapsulating delivery vehicle. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the encapsulating delivery vehicle is a liposome and wherein the NGR-containing molecule is attached to the external surface of said liposome via a thiol to a maleimido moiety on the liposome. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 is linked to a liposome via a thiol to a maleimido moiety on the liposome. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said NGR-containing molecule comprises a cysteine residue at the carboxy terminus. 
   
   
       22 . A method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a patient in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of a drug delivery composition comprising an NGR-containing molecule linked to an encapsulating delivery vehicle, said NGR-containing molecule consisting of (i) an NGR amino acid sequence motif and (ii) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, wherein said encapsulating delivery vehicle comprises a therapeutic agent. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the NGR amino acid sequence motif comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:8. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule linked to a delivery vehicle, said NGR-containing molecule consisting of 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 contiguous amino acid residues. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule consists of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the NGR-containing molecule is covalently attached to the external surface of the encapsulating delivery vehicle.