Correlation of the acid-sensitivity of polyethylene glycol daunorubicin conjugates with their in vitro antiproliferative activity Original Research Article

Polyethylene glycol conjugates with linkers of varying acid-sensitivity were prepared by reacting five maleimide derivatives of daunorubicin containing an amide bond (1) or acid-sensitive carboxylic hydrazone bonds (2–5) with α-methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-thiopropionic acid amide (MW 20000) or α,ω-bis-thiopropionic acid amide poly(ethylene glycol) (MW 20000). The polymer drug derivatives were designed to release daunorubicin inside the tumor cell by acid-cleavage of the hydrazone bond after uptake of the conjugate by endocytosis. In subsequent cell culture experiments, the order of antitumor activity of the PEG daunorubicin conjugates correlated with their acid-sensitivity as determined by HPLC (cell lines: BXF T24 bladder carcinoma and LXFL 529L lung cancer cell line; assay: propidium iodide fluorescence assay). The acid-sensitivity of the link between PEG and daunorubicin is therefore an important parameter for in vitro efficacy.