Uptake of silica covered Quantum Dots into living cells: Long term vitality and morphology study on hyaluronic acid biomaterials.
Quantum Dots (QDs) are promising very bright and stable fluorescent probes for optical studies in the biological field but water solubility and possible metal bio-contamination need to be addressed. In this work, a simple silica-QD hybrid system is prepared and the uptake in bovine chondrocytes living cells without any functionalization of the external protective silica shield is demonstrated. Moreover, long term treated cells vitality (up to 14days) and the transfer of silica-QDs to the next cell generations are here reported. Confocal fluorescence microscopy was also used to determine the morphology of the so labelled cells and the relative silica-QDs distribution. Finally, we employ silica-QD stained chondrocytes to characterize, as proof of concept, hydrogels obtained from an amphiphilic derivative of hyaluronic acid (HA-EDA-C18) functionalized with different amounts of the RGD peptide.
Dip. Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche, 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy; Dip. di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Michele
M
D'Amico
Dip. di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari e Biomolecolari, Sezione di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 28, 90136 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: calogero.fiorica@unipa.it.
Calogero
C
Fiorica
Dip. di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari e Biomolecolari, Sezione di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 28, 90136 Palermo, Italy.
Fabio Salvatore
FS
Palumbo
Dip. di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Valeria
V
Militello
Dip. di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Leone
Laboratoire de Physique et d'Etude des Matèriaux, ESPCI-ParisTech, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Universitè UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France.
Benoit
B
Dubertret
Dip. di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari e Biomolecolari, Sezione di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 28, 90136 Palermo, Italy.
Giovanna
G
Pitarresi
Dip. di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari e Biomolecolari, Sezione di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi, 28, 90136 Palermo, Italy.
Gaetano
G
Giammona
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid
Chondrocyte bovine cells; Fluorescence confocal microscopy; Hyaluronic acid; Labelling; Long term cell staining; Silica Quantum Dots