Hydrothermal Synthesize of HF-Free MIL-100(Fe) for Isoniazid-Drug Delivery.

Sustainable development of drug delivery materials with good biocompatibility and controlled-release is a popular topic among researchers. In this research study, we demonstrated the potential of the metal-organic framework, that is MIL-100(Fe), as a drug delivery platform for isoniazid (INH). The MIL-100(Fe) was prepared by using the hydrofluoric acid-free hydrothermal method. Several physical measurements were conducted to characterize the MIL-100(Fe), including x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen sorption, and thermal-gravimetric (TG). The synthesized MIL-100(Fe) has octahedron-shaped particles with superior properties, that is large surface area (1456.10 m2/g) and pore volume (1.25 cm3/g). The drug loading rate and capacity were determined by means of adsorption kinetic and isotherm. The studied INH@MIL-100(Fe) adsorption system kinetics follow the pseudo-first-order model, while the isotherm system follows the Langmuir model with the maximum adsorption capacity of 128.5 mg/g at 30 °C. MIL-100(Fe) shows adequate biocompatibility, also exhibits a reasonable and controlled drug release kinetics. The results obtained show that MIL-100 (Fe) can be a good choice of drug delivery platform among other available platforms.

Amine functionalized cubic mesoporous silica nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for curcumin bioavailability enhancement.

In the present work, a simple method was used to develop composite curcumin-amine functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). The nanoparticles were used to improve the bioavailability of curcumin in mice through oral administration. We investigated the effect of particle size on the release profile, solubility and oral bioavailability of curcumin in mice, including amine functionalized mesoporous silica micron-sized-particles (MSM) and MSN (100-200 nm). Curcumin loaded within amine functionalized MSN (MSN-A-Cur) had a better release profile and a higher solubility compared to amine MSM (MSM-A-Cur). The bioavailability of MSN-A-Cur and MSM-A-Cur was considerably higher than that of 'free curcumin'. These results indicate promising features of amine functionalized MSN as a carrier to deliver low solubility drugs with improved bioavailability via the oral route.

An approach to prepare polyethylenimine functionalized silica-based spheres with small size for siRNA delivery.

A novel approach has been developed to prepare polyethylenimine functionalized hybrid silica spheres with a diameter of ∼10 nm, which show excellent delivery efficiency of siRNA into osteosarcoma cancer cells and human colon cancer cells with a significant cell inhibition comparable to commercial agents.

Functionalized large pore mesoporous silica nanoparticles for gene delivery featuring controlled release and co-delivery.

Novel mesoporous silica nanoparticles (LPMSNs) functionalised with degradable poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) (PDMAEA) have been developed (PDMAEA-LPMSNs) as nano-carriers for gene delivery. The unique design of PDMAEA-LPMSNs has endowed this system with multiple functions derived from both the organic and inorganic moieties. The cationic polymer unit binds to genetic molecules and undergoes a self-catalyzed hydrolysis in water to form a non-toxic anionic polymer poly(acrylic acid), allowing controlled release of siRNA in the cells. The nanopores of the LPMSNs provide a reservoir for storage and release of chloroquine to facilitate endosomal escape. The PDMAEA-LPMSN composites were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), solid-state 13C magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nitrogen sorption techniques. Their siRNA delivery performance was tested in a KHOS cell line, showing promising potential for co-delivery of genes and drugs.

Magnetic silica spheres with large nanopores for nucleic acid adsorption and cellular uptake.

Template assisted fabrication of magnetic silica nanospheres with large nanopores (MSNLP) and their adsorption and delivery of nucleic acids are reported in this paper. Silica spheres with controlled particle diameter (~400 nm) and large nanopore size (13-24 nm) are prepared by using Brij56 as a template of mesopore, enabling incorporation of magnetic nanocrystals into the particles under mild neutral synthesis conditions. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-dependent magnetisation measurements confirm that the magnetic nanocrystals have been encapsulated into the silica spheres. The saturation magnetisation values of the resulted magnetic-silica nanocomposites are tunable by adjusting the amount of Fe(3)O(4) magnetic nanocrystals used in the synthesis process. The nitrogen sorption analysis reveals that mesopores with large pore size exist in the silica matrix. After functionalisation of the silica surface with poly-(l-lysine) (PLL), the nanoparticles show strong adsorption capacity (q(m) ranging from 10 to 22.5 µg/mg) for CpG DNA. We have further demonstrated successful delivery of miRNA into rat proximal tubular epithelial cells, facilitated by efficient cellular uptake of the nanocomposites. This work provides a convenient strategy to prepare MSNLP which can offer a versatile platform for biological applications such as simultaneous drug delivery and magnetic resonance imagining under external magnetic field.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles for bioadsorption, enzyme immobilisation, and delivery carriers.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) provide a non-invasive and biocompatible delivery platform for a broad range of applications in therapeutics, pharmaceuticals and diagnosis. The creation of smart, stimuli-responsive systems that respond to subtle changes in the local cellular environment are likely to yield long term solutions to many of the current drug/gene/DNA/RNA delivery problems. In addition, MSNs have proven to be promising supports for enzyme immobilisation, enabling the enzymes to retain their activity, affording them greater potential for wide applications in biocatalysis and energy. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the advances made in the last decade and a future outlook on possible applications of MSNs as nanocontainers for storage and delivery of biomolecules. We discuss some of the important factors affecting the adsorption and release of biomolecules in MSNs and review of the cytotoxicity aspects of such nanomaterials. The review also highlights some promising work on enzyme immobilisation using mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Fabrication of uniform anatase TiO(2) particles exposed by {001} facets.

Uniform anatase TiO(2) particles exposed by {001} facets were successfully synthesized by using EDTA together with F as morphology controlling agents. The crystallographic structure as well as the growth mechanism of anatase TiO(2) particles was investigated systematically by XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS, respectively.