多年的研究發现幾项因素影響微脂體抗癌藥物在血液中的循環時間:(l)由中性脂質組成的微脂體较不易被綱状内皮系統清除;(2)颗粒较小的微脂體(直徑小於100nm)较不易被清除;(3)由较高過渡温度(transition temperature)脂質(如二硬酯酸磷酸脂膽鹼(distearoyl phosphatidyl choline, DSPC))和高膽固醇含量的微脂體较稳定;(4)微脂體表面以聚合物如聚乙二醇(polyethylene glycol)保護可以延緩血液中的清除速度。符合這些條件的微脂體的血液循環半衰期可達48小時以上,且這樣大小的微脂體能穿過腫瘤新生血管壁的漏洞大量累積於腫瘤,增進治療效果。Doxil,内包doxorubicin,是第一個長血液循環時間的微脂體抗癌藥物。對乳癌,卵巢癌及卡普西肉瘤等都有良好的療效。 然而,進一步延長血液中的循環時間是否能再提高微脂體抗癌藥物的療效?我們設計一含DSPC的高稳定性微脂體系統並做了一系列臨床前及臨床研究。表面聚乙二醇的保護效果大約於6%時就到極限,再增加並無效果。而且聚乙二醇造成的立體障礙,會减少微脂體抗癌藥物進入腫瘤的效率。因此雖然包覆聚乙二醇的微脂體於種有C-26腫瘤的mice血液中的循環時間比無聚乙二醇微脂體長(tl/2(下標 β) 12.5vs. 22.4 hours),但是有無聚乙二醇於動物實驗上毒性及療效均無差異。 内包doxorubicin的此一高穩定性微脂體藥物(Lipo-Dox)第一相的臨床研究發现當劑量爲50mg/m^2時,病人會出现嚴重的口腔黏膜潰爛,治療難以繼續。一般可行劑量爲每星期10-12mg/m^2。藥物動力學的研究發现Lipo-Dox的血液循環時間比Doxil長很多(tl/2(下標 β) 69.3 vs. 45.9 hours)。较長血液循環時間增加口腔黏膜潰爛的嚴重程度,但是遣憾的是Lipo-Dox療效並未较佳。肝癌的第二相的臨床研究發现肝機能不佳的状况下,Lipo-Dox的血液循環時間反而較短,因此,肝機能不佳的病人可以使用Lipo-Dox不必减少劑量。但是微脂體抗癌藥物會影響肝硬化病人綱状内皮系統的機能,細菌感染的危險性较高。Lipo-Dox肝癌的有效率爲10%,並不比doxorubicin優越。 Lipo-Dox和paclitaxel併用於轉移的乳癌病人的第一相的臨床研究證實對使用過anthracycline的患者此處方仍有相當的療效,但是皮膚的毒性比單獨使用Lipo-Dox時明顯。Lipo-Dox和放射治療合用的動物實驗證明其療效優於併用doxorubicin和放射治療,而且副作用较低。但是於頭頸癌病人的臨床研究發现毒性太大;主要急性毒性是嚴重的口腔黏膜潰爛;長期的副作用如纖維化舆牙關緊閉也甚爲嚴重。 進一步延長微脂體抗癌藥物血液中的循環時間並未改善療效。但利用微脂體表面容易以標的性配位基或抗體修飾的特點,將有助於抗癌藥物的定點傅送,應可減低副作用並提高療效。
The second generation liposomal anticancer drug is characterized by long-circulating half-life, which leads to passive tumor targeting and improved antitumor activity. Its development is based mainly on the surface coating of polymers and thus reducing its clearance from reticuloendothelial system. Is it possible to further improve the activity of liposomal drug through prolonging circulation time? We developed a liposomal system composed of distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and cholesterol with surface coating with polyethylene glycol (PEG). This liposome has a longer circulation half-life in animal and human than Doxil. Unfortunately, we found that with PEGylation, the tumor accumulation efficiency of this liposomal doxorubicin was reduced although the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) was increased. The activity of this PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), Lipo-Dox, is not higher than free doxorubicin in clinical studies. The most annoying toxicity of PLD, stomatitis, appeared at 30 mg/m^2 and became dose limiting at 50 mg/m^2, much lower than that of Doxil, 80mg/m^2. Present indications of PLD including salvage therapy of ovarian cancer, treatment of cancer patients with liver dysfunction and substitute of doxorubicin to avoid the toxicities of free drug. To increase PLD activity, enhancement of intracellular delivery through ligand-directed targeting system is the main focus of present liposomal anticancer drug development.