title: Fluorescent carbon dot-gated multifunctional mesoporous silica nanocarriers for redox/enzyme dual-responsive targeted and controlled drug delivery and real-time bioimaging.
abstract: A distinctive and personalized nanocarrier is described here for controlled and targeted antitumor drug delivery and real-time bioimaging by combining a redox/enzyme dual-responsive disulfide-conjugated carbon dot with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-SS-CDHA). The carbon dot with controlling and targeting abilities was prepared through a polymerizing reaction by applying citric acid and HA as starting materials (named CDHA). The as-prepared MSN-SS-CDHAexhibited not only superior photostability and excellent biocompatibility, but also the ability to target A549 cells with overexpression of CD44 receptors. Upon loading the antitumor drug, doxorubicin (DOX), into the mesoporous channels of MSN nanoparticles, CDHAwith a diameter size of 3nm completely blocked the pore entrance of DOX-encapsulated MSN nanoparticles with a pore size of about 3nm, thus preventing the premature leakage of DOX and increasing the antitumor activity until being triggered by specific stimuli in the tumor environment. The results of the cell imaging and cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that the redox/enzyme dual-responsive DOX-encapsulated MSN-SS-CDHAnanoparticles can selectively deliver and control the release of DOX into tumor cells. Ex vivo fluorescence images showed a much stronger fluorescence of MSN-SS-CDHA-DOX in the tumor site than in normal tissues, greatly facilitating the accumulation of DOX in the target tissue. However, its counterpart, MSN-SH-DOX exhibited no or much lower tumor cytotoxicity and drug accumulation in tumor tissue. In addition, MSN-SS-CD was also used as a control to investigate the ability of MSN-SS-CDHAto target A549 cells. The results obtained indicated that MSN-SS-CDHApossessed a higher cellular uptake through the CD44 receptor-mediated endocytosis compared with MSN-SS-CD in the A549 cells. Such specific redox/enzyme dual-responsive targeted nanocarriers are a useful strategy achieving selective controlled and targeted delivery of therapeutic reagents with real-time bioimaging, and may also facilitate the development of drug delivery systems for a number of clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110016, PR China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110016, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110016, PR China.
authors.forename: Yating
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110016, PR China.
authors.forename: Donghua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110016, PR China. Electronic address: silingwang@syphu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Siling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000072283:A549 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003199:Computer Systems; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods*; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016062:Porosity; D011817:Rabbits; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Fluorescent carbon dot; Mesoporous silica nanocarriers; Real-time bioimaging; Redox/enzyme dual-responsive; Targeted and controlled drug delivery