IL-6 Antibody and RGD Peptide Conjugated Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer for Targeted Drug Delivery of HeLa Cells

In this study, PAMAM dendrimer (G4.5) was conjugated with two targeting moieties, IL-6 antibody and RGD peptide (G4.5-IL6 and G4.5-RGD conjugates). Doxorubicin anticancer drug was physically loaded onto G4.5-IL6 and G4.5-RGD with the encapsulation efficiency of 51.3 and 30.1% respectively. The cellular internalization and uptake efficiency of G4.5-IL6/DOX and G4.5-RGD/DOX complexes was observed and compared by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry using HeLa cells, respectively. The lower IC₅₀ value of G4.5-IL6/DOX in comparison to G4.5-RGD/DOX is indication that higher drug loading and faster drug release rate corresponded with greater cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic effect was further verified by increment in late apoptotic/necrotic cells due to delivery of drug through receptor-mediated endocytosis. On the basis of these results, G4.5-IL6 is a better suited carrier for targeted drug delivery of DOX to cervical cancer cells.