Biocompatible mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and MR imaging applications

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science Vol. 431; no. 431; pp. 31 - 41
• Main Authors: Sahoo, Banalata, Devi, K. Sanjana P., Dutta, Sujan, Maiti, Tapas K., Pramanik, Panchanan, Dhara, Dibakar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - chemistry; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - pharmacology; Cancer specificity; Chemistry; Coated Materials, Biocompatible - chemistry; Coated Materials, Biocompatible - pharmacology; Colloidal state and disperse state; Doxorubicin; Doxorubicin - chemistry; Doxorubicin - pharmacology; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Exact sciences and technology; Female; Ferric Compounds - chemistry; Ferric Compounds - pharmacology; Fluorescence imaging; Folic acid; General and physical chemistry; HeLa Cells; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Manganese Compounds - chemistry; Manganese Compounds - pharmacology; Mesoporous silica; Mice; Multifunctional nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Physical and chemical studies. Granulometry. Electrokinetic phenomena; Porous materials; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Silicon Dioxide - pharmacology; Cancer specificity; Fluorescence imaging; Doxorubicin; Mesoporous silica; Folic acid; Multifunctional nanoparticles; Ternary compound; Binary compound; Nanoparticle; Transition element compounds; Fluorescence; Drug carrier; Superparamagnetism; Porous material; Silica; Mesoporosity; Ferrites; Iron Oxides; Ferrite; Acids; Imaging; Biocompatibility; Manganese Oxides
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2014.06.003

•Mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized.•Nanoparticles combined targeting, imaging and therapeutic ability in a single entity.•Drug loaded nanoparticles exhibited cytotoxicity to cancer cells.•Nanoparticles performed as superior MRI contrast agent for cancer cells. Multifunctional mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles (M-MSN) were synthesized and evaluated for targeted drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by solvothermal route and were silica-coated by surface silylation using sol–gel reactions. Subsequently, silylation was done using (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane in presence of a surfactant (CTAB), followed by selective etching of the surfactant molecules that resulted in amine-functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NH2-MSN). Further modification of the surface of the NH2-MSN with targeting (folate) or fluorescent (RITC) molecules resulted in M-MSN. The formation of the M-MSN was proved by several characterization techniques viz. XRD, XPS, HRTEM, FESEM, VSM, BET surface area measurement, FTIR, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The M-MSN were loaded with anticancer drug Doxorubicin and the efficacy of the DOX loaded M-MSN was evaluated through in vitro cytotoxicity, fluorescence microscopy, and apoptosis studies. The in vivo biocompatibility of the M-MSN was demonstrated in a mice-model system. Moreover, the M-MSN also acted as superior MRI contrast agent owing to a high magnetization value as well as superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. These folate-conjugated nanoparticles (FA-MSN) exhibited stronger T2-weighted MRI contrast towards HeLa cells as compared to the nanoparticles without folate conjugation, justifying their potential importance in MRI based diagnosis of cancer. Such M-MSN with a magnetic core required for MRI imaging, a porous shell for carrying drug molecules, a targeting moeity for cancer cell specificity and a fluorescent molecule for imaging, all integrated into a single system, may potentially serve as an excellent material in biomedical applications.