Abstract
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Surface decoration of liposomes with polyethylene glycol (PEG), PEGylation, is recognized as a method to bestow liposomes with a prolonged circulation time following intravenous administration. However, many reports have emphasized that a first dose of PEGylated liposomes (PL) elicits an anti-PEG IgM antibody response that can trigger a rapid systemic clearance of a second dose of PL via a phenomenon that is referred to as “accelerated blood clearance (ABC).” Such a phenomenon is usually observed with PL that has been modified with methoxy-PEG. In the current study, we introduced various functional groups, methoxy (OCH3), amino (NH2), carboxyl (COOH), and hydroxyl (OH), at the chain ends of PEG to investigate the effect on anti-PEG IgM induction. Among different PEG-modified liposomes, hydroxyl PEG-modified liposomes (PL-OH) efficiently attenuated the anti-PEG IgM response in vitro. In addition, PL-OH was less recognizable by anti-PEG IgM compared with other PLs. These findings raised the possibility that PL-OH could attenuate/abrogate elicitation of the ABC phenomenon. Nonetheless, upon repeated intravenous injection, PL-OH triggered the enhanced clearance of a subsequently injected second dose. Furthermore, in vitro studies have demonstrated that, as a complement activator, PL-OH is stronger than PL-OCH3 and induces further complement activation in the presence of anti-PEG IgM, which was the predominant contributor to the rapid clearance of a second dose of PL-OH. Our results suggest that the screening of complement activation by polymer-modified products in tandem with anti-polymer antibody production should be a prerequisite in the development of polymers that might enhance the therapeutic efficacy of nanocarriers.