Plug-and-play multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles as potential platforms for cancer therapy

Multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MMSNs) have been fabricated by the flexible supramolecular interaction between 1-adamantylamine (AD) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified by targeted molecules and fluorescein isothiocyanate. The novelty of the platform relies on its plug-and-play connection, which makes it possible to combine targeted cancer therapeutics with monitoring the delivery pathway. The in vitro drug release experiment revealed that only a small amount of the loaded DOX was released in a PBS solution at pH 7.4, while over 80% of the loaded DOX could be rapidly released in a PBS solution at pH 5.3. The experiments of MTT, CLSM and flow cytometry showed that both folate acid and lactobionic acid targeted MSNs could be greatly internalized into tumor cells compared with overexpressed free target receptors, and showed high cell inhibitions for tumor-selective therapies. These significant multifunctional characteristics will be an advantage for essential applications for cancer therapy applications.