Therapy of human ovarian carcinoma xenografts using doxorubicin encapsulated in sterically stabilized liposomes.

Abstract

This study compared the therapeutic effects of doxorubicin hydrochloride in saline and in sterically stabilized, long-circulating liposomes composed of hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol/polyethylene glycol-distearoyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (Doxil). The drug formulations were injected intravenously or intraperitoneally to treat the human ovarian carcinoma HEY, which was implanted subcutaneously or intraperitoneally into mature female Swiss nude mice. The long-circulating liposome formulation was significantly more effective than was the free drug in inhibiting tumor growth and in producing cure. The liposome formulation was significantly less toxic than was the free drug. This is the first demonstration of the therapeutic effectiveness of doxorubicin in sterically stabilized liposomes against human tumor xenografts. The encapsulation of doxorubicin in long-circulating liposomes significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of the drug against a human ovarian carcinoma.