title: Multilayered silica-biopolymer nanocapsules with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic tunable shell thickness.
abstract: Stable, biocompatible, multifunctional and multicompartment nanocarriers are much needed in the field of nanomedicine. Here, we report a simple, novel strategy to design an engineered nanocarrier system featuring an oil-core/hybrid polymer/silica-shell. Silica shells with a tunable thickness were grown in situ, directly around a highly mono-disperse and stable oil-in-water emulsion system, stabilized by a double bio-functional polyelectrolyte heparin/chitosan layer. Such silica showed a complete degradation in a physiological medium (SBF) in a time frame of three days. Moreover, the outer silica shell was coated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) in order to confer antifouling properties to the final nanocapsule. The outer silica layer combined its properties (it is an optimal bio-interface for bio-conjugations and for the embedding of hydrophilic drugs in the porous structure) with the capability to stabilize the oil core for the confinement of high payloads of lipophilic tracers (e.g., CdSe quantum dots, Nile Red) and drugs. In addition, polymer layers--besides conferring stability to the emulsion while building the silica shell--can be independently exploited if suitably functionalized, as demonstrated by conjugating chitosan with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Such numerous features in a single nanocarrier system make it very intriguing as a multifunctional platform for smart diagnosis and therapy.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it and Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vecchione
authors.affiliation: Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it and Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calcagno
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it.
authors.forename: Anshuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jakhmola
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Brigida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it and Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guarnieri
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it and Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Belli
authors.affiliation: Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IIT@CRIB, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53 80125 Napoli, Italy. paolo.netti@iit.it and Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sui Biomateriali CRIB, Università di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Netti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D051379:Mice; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D050997:Nanomedicine; D036103:Nanotechnology; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D004337:Drug Carriers; D053769:Nanocapsules; D012822:Silicon Dioxide