Synthesis of nanostructured calcium carbonate/methotrexate@silica and its application in cancer therapy

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 6; no. 72; pp. 68335 - 6834
• Main Authors: Dai, Chao-Fan, Wang, Wei-Yuan, -Wang, Lin, -Zhou, Lei, Li, Shu-Ping, Li, Xiao-Dong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2016
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra11133e

Biomedical applications of nontoxic amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) have mainly been restricted because of its aqueous instability. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of highly stable ACC-methotrexate (MTX)@SiO 2 nanospheres in vitro for use in cancer therapy. Further, vaterite-MTX@SiO 2 nanospheres were also prepared for comparison. In our synthesis procedure, ACC-MTX and vaterite-MTX were firstly prepared at different pH values, and then SiO 2 layers were subsequently deposited by the well-known Stöber method. The results indicated that the special structure of ACC-MTX@SiO 2 presents better controlled-release and results in efficient death of cancer cells, thus showing its great potential as a desirable chemotherapeutic system for cancer therapy. Both ACC-MTX@SiO 2 and vaterite-MTX@SiO 2 nanospheres were synthesized at different pH values. The results indicated that ACC-MTX@SiO 2 nanospheres presented better controlled release and results in efficient death of cancer cells.