ABSTRACT
Three dimensional sub-micron resolution has made two-photon nanomedicine a very promising medical tool for cancer treatment since current techniques cause significant side effects for lack of spatial selectivity. Two-photon-excited (TPE) photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been achieved via mesoporous nanoscaffolds, but the efficiency of the treatment could still be improved. Herein, we demonstrate the enhancement of the treatment efficiency via gold-mesoporous organosilica nanocomposites for TPE-PDT in cancer cells when compared to mesoporous organosilica particles. We performed the first comparative study of the influence of the shape and spatial position of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) functionalized with thiol groups and doped with a two-photon electron donor (2PS). The resulting multifunctional nanocarriers displayed TPE-fluorescence and were imaged inside cells. Furthermore, mesoporous organosilica NPs decorated gold nanospheres (AuNSs) induced 63 percent of selective killing on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This study thus provides insights for the design of more effective multifunctional two-photon-sensitive nanocomposites via AuNPs for biomedical applications.
ABSTRACT
We report a two-photon-actuated cancer cell killing system that kills the cancer cells via drug delivery through multifunctional mesoporous silica nanogates. Two-photon-sensitive mesoporous organosilica (M2PS) nanocarriers were synthesized via the co-condensation of a silica precursor and a two-photon electron donor. The nanogates were constructed using a fast one-pot process at room temperature on the drug-loaded M2PS nanoparticles (NPs) with the bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)disulfide precursor. One and two-photon-actuated cargo releases from the M2PS nanogates were successfully monitored in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the cellular uptake in MCF-7 cells was demonstrated via two-photon fluorescence imaging of the NPs, which were then applied successfully for drug delivery in cells.
