title: A novel luminescent bifunctional POSS as a molecular platform for biomedical applications.
abstract: A novel luminescent polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) containing in the structure a fluorescein derivative molecule and a carboxylic functionality, suitable to anchor different organic compounds (dyes, markers, drugs, contrast agents, …), was successfully synthesized and characterized in this manuscript by a multidisciplinary approach. An emission enhancement of the dye of ca. four times was found after reaction with POSS, rendering this new hybrid compound a promising contrast agent for optical imaging. In vitro tests on tumoral HeLa cells demonstrated that the luminescent POSS (namely POSS_F), here described, is able to be taken up in the cell cytosol by an efficient and selective process. Its high chemical versatility and peculiar properties could render this novel bifunctional POSS a molecular platform for biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Centro Interdisciplinare Nano-Sistemi, Università del Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro Viale T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olivero
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renò
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carniato
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannas
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marchese
mesh_terms: D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D049408:Luminescent Agents; D017646:Organosilicon Compounds; C521417:polyhedraloligosilsesquioxane