Stimuli-responsive and targetable nanomedicine systems have been widely applied as effective modalities for drug delivery and
tumor therapeutics. Particle shape is also important for the biodistribution and cellular uptake in drug delivery applications. Here, morphology tunable and
acid-responsive
dextran-
doxorubicin conjugate assemblies of DD-M and DDF-V for targeted
doxorubicin (DOX) delivery were constructed, which contain the following favorable advantages: (1) one-pot synthesis of the drug loaded system with a
Schiff base reaction is a green chemistry method which is better than the conventional drug conjugation/encapsulation methods. (2) The morphology of the nanoparticles could be regulated from a
micelle (DD-M) to vesicle (DDF-V) structure by either introducing
folic acid (FA) or not. (3) The abundant
hydroxyl groups and electronegativity give DD-M and DDF-V superior stability in the physiological environment. (4) Besides, the multifunctional DDF-V with its important merits including
tumor-targeting ability and
acid-responsiveness is specific for DOX delivery in
cancer therapy. (5) Compared to free DOX and DD-M, DDF-V displayed enhanced anti-
tumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo without obvious systematic toxicity. The morphology tunable,
acid-sensitive and targetable nanosystem could be a promising strategy for site-specific drug delivery and potential
cancer therapy in the future.