Two amphiphilic biodegradable block copolymers

poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide-co-carbonate)

were prepared and then conjugated with paclitaxel (PTX) and folic acid (FA)

respectively

to form polymer-PTX conjugate and polymer-FA conjugate.These two conjugates were co-assembled into composite nanomicelles with an average diameter of ca.50 nm

a PTX content of 27 wt% and a FA content of 1.4 wt%.Human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were cultured.MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis showed that Taxol

M(PTX) and FA-M(PTX) could inhibit the growth of SKOV3 cells at a PTX concentration of 10 g/mL

M(PTX) and FA-M(PTX) were more efficient than Taxol.Xenograft subcutaneous SKOV3 cancer models were constructed in balb/c mice.Inhibition of the tumor growth by Taxol

M(PTX) and FA-M(PTX) was examined.At a dosage of 20 mg/kg

the tumor volume measurement

the tumor weight measurement on the 9th day and the survival curve all showed that Taxol

M(PTX) and FA-M(PTX) could inhibit the growth of the SKOV3 cancers

in the order of Taxol