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The article describes the process of developing a technology for producing nanoparticles based on a copolymer of lactic and glycolic acids (PLGA) containing dipropoxybacteriopurpurinimide (DPBPI) for photodynamic therapy of malignant tumors of various origins. Technological parameters for optimizing the method in order to obtain nanoparticles with specified characteristics are presented in this paper. As a result, the nanoparticles sample with an average particle diameter of 222.6±2.8 nm; ξ-potential 26.3±4.61 mV; polydispersity index 0.144; the total content of DPBPI in PLGA-DPBPI nanoparticles 13.6% were obtained. In accordance with the developed technique, the batch of PLGA-DPBPI nanoparticles was developed for further biological studies. In vitro experiments on A549 human non-small cell lung carcinoma for DPBPI, delivered as a part of PLGA-DPBPI nanoparticles, and an EL cremophor-based emulsion (CrEL-DPBPI) showed a similar intracellular distribution (concentrated in vesicular cell structures and diffusely distributed in cytoplasm), as well as high photo induced activity and the absence of dark cytotoxicity in case of PLGA-DPBPI nanoparticles. The study of the PLGA-DPBPI nanoparticles specific activity in vivo on the S37 mouse soft tissue sarcoma model showed the selective accumulation of DPBPI in tumor tissue and the almost complete elimination of DPBPI from the body within 48 hours, as well as significant antitumor efficacy in PDT.

Incubation of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and HEp-2 human epidermoid laryngeal carcinoma cells with hydroxycobalamin (vitamin B12b) and ascorbic acid induced generation and accumulation of double-stranded DNA fragments (23,000 b.p. and longer) in cells. The same vitamins alone in the same concentrations produced no such effects. DNA degradation in HEp-2 cells caused by long-term (4 h) incubation with 5-25 microM hydroxycobalamin and ascorbic acid (1:10-1:40 molar ratio) at 37 degrees C was comparable with that induced by gamma-irradiation in a dose of 150 Gy at 4 degrees C.

To enhance the antitumor potential of soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), the conjugate of BBI with an antibody via a macromolecular carrier was prepared. Clinical dextran (D) was used as a biocompatible biodegradable carrier for co-immobilization of BBI and antibody. A model immunoglobulin isolated from sheep serum (sIgG), raised against human IgM was utilized to develop the procedure of immunoconjugate synthesis. The molar ratio of the ingredients in the conjugate was the following BBI:D:sIgG=9:1:1. Comparison of the dose response curves for the native sIgG and the BBI-D-sIgG conjugate indicated that sIgG completely retained its specific activity (90%) after modification with dextran. The determination of the Ki values for chymotrypsin interaction with the native BBI and the BBI-D-sIgG conjugate indicated high anti-chymotrypsin activity. In the next step, the monoclonal antibody (ICO 25 MAb) against the mucin-like human epithelial membrane antigen was used for conjugation as it is the most universal vector for targeting different agents to human tumors of epithelial origin. The influence of conjugation on the specificity of the Mab reaction with its antigen was studied. The conjugated MAb reacted with tumor cells of different epithelial genesis (breast, lung, gastric, ovarian and uterus tumors), but did not react with tumor cells of non-epithelial origin. It was shown that BBI-D-ICO 25 MAb conjugate has almost the same immunohistochemical activity as non-conjugated MAb. These results demonstrated the feasibility of exploiting the activities of covalently bound BBI and ICO 25 MAb for anticarcinogenic agent targeting.

The present work reports the effect of conjugation of the anticarcinogenic and antitumor soybean Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor (BBI) with amphiphilic block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (PEO-PPO) as well as with monoclonal antibody via clinical dextran (D) on tumor-targeted delivery of BBI.

A new affinity sorbent has been synthesized — soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI)-amylopectin-hydrazidosuccinyl-Sepharose — and its properties have been studied in comparison with those of an analogous adsorbent without the spacer STI-Sepharose. The STI-amylopectin-hydrazidosuccinyl-Sepharose adsorbent has been used for the purification of trypsin from porcine pancreas and of callicrein from human blood plasma.

Suspensions of insoluble polyelectrolyte complexes of dextran sulfate? (DS) of different molecular masses with lactoferrin (LF) have been fabricated and characterized. The encapsulation efficiency of LF and DS in a complex at pH 3.0 and 4.0 was assessed, and particles were characterized by their sizes and zeta-potential. The complexes formed at pH 3.0 differed by a higher stability level. The interaction with DS resulted in a twofold decrease in the antioxidant activity of LF, although the formation of complexes was not accompanied by conformational changes in LF molecules according to IR-spectrometry data. Microencapsulation was carried out by treating the suspensions with negatively charged LF-DS complexes with protamine and chitosane solutions with different molecular masses. The composition, size, and the zeta-potential of interaction products were assessed which allowed us to select the conditions for the preparation of pH-sensitive polyelectrolyte microparticles loaded with LF which would be able to gradually release glycoprotein under conditions that model the passage through the gastrointestinal tract of humans. These data indicate that this approach is promising for the creation of pH-sensitive biopolyelectrolytes suitable for oral administration of LF to target cells.

The influence of neutral and ionic polysaccharides on the antioxidant (AOA) and detoxifying activities of lactoferrin (LF) and the duration of its circulation in the body was studied. In addition to natural polymers, we studied chitosan synthetic derivatives with different functional groups. On the basis of AOA test, five polysaccharides were selected. The study of the detoxifying effect of LF in two models of induced toxicity revealed polysaccharides that maintained or increased the detoxifying activity of LF. We established that the formation of a complex of lactoferrin with two galactomannans and succinyl chitosan caused positive changes in LF properties: the detoxifying activity of the protein remained unchanged or increased, whereas its elimination from the body was decelerated.