| abstract |
Described herein are nanoparticles which are largely made of (e.g., 90 wt. %) hydrophobic drugs and are stabilized by water soluble dyes. The nanoparticles can range in size from 30 nm to 150 nm and have highly negative surface charge (e.g., −55 mV). These nanoparticles are highly soluble in water, stable for days in PBS buffer and can be easily lyophilzed and reconstituted in water. Using quantitative self-assembly prediction calculations, topochemical molecular descriptors were identified and validated as highly predictive indicators of nano-assembly, nanoparticle size, and drug loading. The resulting nanoparticles selectively targeted kinase inhibitors to caveolin-1-expressing human colon cancer and autochthonous liver cancer models to yield striking therapeutic effects while avoiding pERK inhibition in healthy skin. The nanoparticles exhibited remarkable anti-tumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo in models of hepatocellular carcinoma. |