FORMULATION OF PEPTIDE-LOADED LIPOSOMES FOR INTRAVENOUS DELIVERY: OPTIMIZATION OF THE ENCAPSULATION EFFICIENCY

Purpose: Print 3G is a peptidic antagonist of oncoprotein involved in breast cancer, containing 25 amino acids. The purpose of this work is to study the peptide encapsulation into PEGylated liposomes composed of SPC:CHOL:mPEG-2000-DSPE (47:47:6).

Methods: Loaded unilamellar vesicles were prepared by hydration of lipid film method. Unfortunately, a loss of Print 3G was observed during the different steps of this manufacturing technique giving rise to encapsulation efficiencies (EE) close to 0 %. Thus, the freeze-thawing method was used to enhance the amount of Print 3G encapsulated into blank liposomes prepared using the above procedure. Because many factors may influence the peptide entrapment into the vesicles (number of freeze-thawing cycles (NC), lipid concentration (LC), peptide concentration (PC) and mixing time (MT)), a design of experiment (DOE) was performed (for the screening, a Plackett and Burman plan; for the optimization, a central composite design). EE were calculated in terms of quantity of peptide loaded in liposomes as a function of quantity operated (EEp) or quantity of lipids (EEl).

Results: The EE obtained by the freeze-thawing method in standard conditions (Katanasaka, Ida et al., 2008; Maeda, Bharate et al., 2008), amounted to 26.20 ± 7.98 %, n=3 (EEp) and to 0.26 ± 0.074 % (EEl). Among the different considered parameters, the screening permitted to identify two factors having a positive and significant influence on the EE: NC and LC. Concerning the PC and MT, no influence was revealed. For the second part of the DOE, the positive factors were optimized and obtained results revealed a theoretical optimum at 64.75 ± 3.55 % when 11 freeze-thawing cycles were applied (NC) and for the following LC: 36.1 mM SPC, 36.1 mM CHOL and 4mM mPEG-2000-DSPE. The experimental results showed an encapsulation efficiency of 62.68 ± 2.93 %. Photon correlation spectroscopy and freeze-fracture electron microscopy were also realized to examine the liposome integrity, before and after the freeze-thawing cycles.

Conclusion: Changing the manufacturing technique permitted a significant encapsulation of Print 3G into liposomes. The DOE led to a significant improvement of encapsulation efficiencies.

References: (1) Katanasaka,Y., Ida,T., Asai,T., Maeda,N., Oku,N., 2008. Effective delivery of an angiogenesis
inhibitor by neovessel-targeted liposomes. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 360, 219-224. (2) Maeda,H.,
Bharate,G.Y., Daruwalla,J., 2008. Polymeric drugs for efficient tumor-targeted drug delivery based on EPR
effect. Eur. J Pharm Biopharm.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Ministry of the Walloon Region.