title: Aptamer/Graphene Quantum Dots Nanocomposite Capped Fluorescent Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Intracellular Drug Delivery and Real-Time Monitoring of Drug Release.
abstract: Great challenges in investigating the release of drug in complex cellular microenvironments necessitate the development of stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems with real-time monitoring capability. In this work, a smart drug nanocarrier based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is fabricated by capping graphene quantum dots (GQDs, the acceptor) onto fluorescent mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FMSNs, the donor) via ATP aptamer for real-time monitoring of ATP-triggered drug release. Under extracellular conditions, the fluorescence of FMSNs remains in the "off" state in the low ATP level which is unable to trigger the release of drug. Once specifically recognized and internalized into the target tumor cells by AS1411 aptamer, in the ATP-rich cytoplasm, the conformation switch of the ATP aptamer causes the shedding of the GQDs from the nanocarriers, leading to the release of the loaded drugs and consequently severe cytotoxicity. Simultaneously, the fluorescence of FMSNs turns "on" along with the dissociation of GQDs, which allows real-time monitoring of the release of drug from the pores. Such a drug delivery system features high specificity of dual-target recognition with AS1411 and ATP aptamer as well as high sensitivity of the FRET-based monitoring strategy. Thus, the proposed multifunctional ATP triggered FRET-nanocarriers will find potential applications for versatile drug-release monitoring, efficient drug transport, and targeted cancer therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fen-Fen
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Peng-Hui
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005453:Fluorescence; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D016062:Porosity; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D006108:Graphite; D004317:Doxorubicin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate