7-Ethyl-10-hydroxy-comptothecin (SN38) is an active metabolite of irinotecan (CPT-11) and the clinical application of SN38 is limited by its hydrophobicity and instability. To address these issues, a series of novel amphiphilic mPEG-PLA-SN38-conjugates were synthesized by linking SN38 to mPEG-PLA-SA, and they could form micelles by self-assembly. The effects of mPEG-PLA composition were studied in vitro and in vivo. The mean diameters of mPEG(2K)-PLA-SN38 micelles and mPEG(4K)-PLA-SN38 micelles were 10-20 nm and 120 nm, respectively, and mPEG(2K)-PLA-SN38 micelles showed greater antitumor efficacy than mPEG(4K)-PLA-SN38 micelles both in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest that the lengths of mPEG and PLA chains had a major impact on the physicochemical characteristics and antitumor activity of SN38-conjugate micelles. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.