title: Mesoporous NaYbF4@NaGdF4 core-shell up-conversion nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and multimodal imaging.
abstract: We developed a facile strategy to obtain a new kind of mesoporous core-shell structured up-conversion nanoparticles (mUCNPs), composed of a NaYbF4:2%Er core and a mesoporous NaGdF4 shell. This mesoporous shell not only enhanced the up-conversion luminescence but also endowed many other functionalities of the nanoparticles such as drug delivery and bio-imaging capabilities. Moreover, after being conjugated with polyethylenimine (PEI) and folic acid (FA), core-shell mUCNPs exhibited good water dispersibility, enhanced drug delivery efficiency, and remarkable targeting ability to cancer cells. To certify the folate receptors (FR)-mediated targeted drug delivery, cell viability assay, cell up-conversion luminescence imaging and flow cytometry analysis were carried out. Furthermore, apart from the application for targeted drug delivery, the as-prepared core-shell mUCNPs could also be employed as the contrast agents for X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, because of the strong X-ray attenuation ability of Yb and high longitudinal molar relaxivity (r1) of Gd in the nanoparticles, providing the potential for simultaneously bio-imaging and cancer-targeting therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Liangjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaopeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China. Electronic address: zjgu@ihep.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhanjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenyan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Longfei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhongbo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, PR China. Electronic address: zhaoyuliang@ihep.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yuliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000737:chemistry; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D015019:Yttrium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D049408:Luminescent Agents; C525362:sodium yttriumtetrafluoride; D015019:Yttrium; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005492:Folic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D005459:Fluorides
keywords: Core-shell; Mesoporous; Multimodality biomedical imaging; Targeted drug delivery; Up-conversion nanoparticles