Highly Hydrophilic Luminescent Magnetic Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres for Controlled Release of Anticancer Drug and Multimodal Imaging

Abstract

Judicious combination of fluorescence and magnetic properties along with ample drug loading capacity and control release property remains a key challenge in the design of nanotheranostic agents. This paper reports the synthesis of highly hydrophilic optically traceable mesoporous carbon nanospheres which can sustain payloads of the anticancer drug doxorubicin and T2 contrast agent such as cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The luminescent magnetic hybrid system has been prepared on a mesoporous silica template using a resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor. The mesoporous matrix shows controlled release of the aromatic drug doxorubicin due to disruption of supramolecular π-π interaction at acidic pH. The particles show MR contrast behavior by affecting the proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity (r2) 380 mM(-1) S(-1). The multicolored emission and upconversion luminescence property of our sample are advantageous in bioimaging. In vitro cell experiments shows that the hybrid nanoparticles are endocyted by the tumor cells through passive targeting. The pH-responsive release of doxorubicin presents chemotherapeutic inhibition of cell growth through induction of apoptosis.

Green synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots from spices for in vitro imaging and tumour cell growth inhibition

“…Although inorganic semiconductor quantum dots are the most widely studied fluorescent nanoparticles in bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery applications, carbon-based ultra-small nanoparticles including carbon quantum dots (C-dots) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are emerging as new alternatives due to their excellent properties, including high photoluminescence, low photobleaching, high biocompatibility and low toxicity. C-dots avoid the use of heavy metals present in semiconductor quantum dots, which have raised important health and environmental hazard concerns [2]. Furthermore, due to their ultra-small size, the Brownian motion provides enough energy to prevent nanoparticle aggregation, giving rise to an excellent solubility and stability in aqueous media [3–4].…”

Development of europium doped core-shell silica cobalt ferrite functionalized nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging

“…Reflective of these ends, successes were recently seen for targeted cancer drug delivery systems. These works employed T 2 - or T 2 *-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) theranostics [27–30]. …”

“…Based on all prior experiences, we now posit that cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles perhaps hold optimal physicochemical properties for theranostic ARV-bioimaging applications based on their abilities to sustain drug payloads and determine drug distribution as was demonstrated for doxorubicin [30]. An added benefit of this system revolves around its magnetic feature that can affect proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity as well as its luminescence properties [30, 31].…”

“…An added benefit of this system revolves around its magnetic feature that can affect proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity as well as its luminescence properties [30, 31]. The combination of fluorescence and magnetic properties, “dual-modality imaging” enables histological confirmation of drug loading, tissue pathology and ARV particle release [31, 32].…”

Magnetic and fluorescent carbon-based nanohybrids for multi-modal imaging and magnetic field/NIR light responsive drug carriers

“…90 Subsequently, they fabricated monodisperse yolk-type Au@Fe 3 O 4 @C nanospheres with hollow cavities 50 nm in diameter, which were prepared by coating the Au@SiO 2 NPs with Fe 3 O 4 @C double layers, followed by dissolving SiO 2 out. 97 The resultant hybrid NPs not only show a MRI contrast behavior by affecting proton relaxation with a transverse relaxivity (r 2 ) of 380 mM −1 s −1 , but also manifest multicolor emission and upconversion luminescence property. 91 Although the synthesis of multifunctional hybrid NPs by combining noble metal nanocrystals into/onto Fe 3 O 4 @C nanohybrids has achieved much progress, several disadvantages are associated with noble metal NPs for their use in biomedical areas, including toxicity for neuronal cells, the potential induction of oxidative stress processes in the body, and high costs.…”