pH-Sensitive Hybrid System Based on Eu3+/Gd3+ Co-Doped Hydroxyapatite and Mesoporous Silica Designed for Theranostic Applications

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 15; no. 12; p. 2681
• Main Authors: dos Apostolos, Rafaela Caroline Rodrigues, Andrada, Andreza de Sousa, Oliveira, André Felipe, Neto, Ernesto Soares Freitas, de Sousa, Edésia Martins Barros
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 14.06.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Apoptosis; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Cancer therapies; Chemical analysis; Doxorubicin; Drug delivery systems; Electron microscopy; Fourier transforms; Gadolinium; Hybrid systems; Hydroxyapatite; Infrared analysis; Inorganic materials; Magnetic measurement; Magnetic properties; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Photoluminescence; Physiology; poly (methacrylic acid); Polymers; Rare earth elements; Regeneration (physiology); Silicon dioxide; smart drug delivery system; Trace elements; Zeta potential; St Louis Missouri; Brazil; United States > US
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym15122681

Nanomaterials such as pH-responsive polymers are promising for targeted drug delivery systems, due to the difference in pH between tumor and healthy regions. However, there is a significant concern about the application of these materials in this field due to their low mechanical resistance, which can be attenuated by combining these polymers with mechanically resistant inorganic materials such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) and hydroxyapatite (HA). Mesoporous silica has interesting properties such as high surface area and hydroxyapatite has been widely studied to aid in bone regeneration, providing special properties adding multifunctionality to the system. Furthermore, fields of medicine involving luminescent elements such as rare earth elements are an interesting option in cancer treatment. The present work aims to obtain a pH-sensitive hybrid system based on silica and hydroxyapatite with photoluminescent and magnetic properties. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption methods, CHN elemental analysis, Zeta Potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrational sample magnetometry (VSM), and photoluminescence analysis. Incorporation and release studies of the antitumor drug doxorubicin were performed to evaluate the potential use of these systems in targeted drug delivery. The results showed the luminescent and magnetic properties of the materials and showed suitable characteristics for application in the release of pH-sensitive drugs.