Lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles as a targeted drug delivery system for melanoma treatment

Aiming to target vitamin D receptors (VDR) expressed in melanoma cells, vitamin D3 functionalized hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticles (HNP-VDs) comprising a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) core and a lipid shell composed of hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC), cholesterol (CHOL) and 1,2-disteroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphaethanolamine-N[succinyl(polyethyleneglycol)-2000 (DSPE-PEG2000) were synthesized. The nanocarriers were optimized to a lipid surface area coverage of 97%. In vitro drug release studies showed an initial burst release in the first 24 h followed by diffusive transport. Finally, cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that the HNP-VDs efficiently targeted B16 melanoma cells, thus resulting in a promising vehicle to deliver therapeutics for the melanoma treatment.