Solid silica nanoparticles: applications in molecular imaging

Abstract

Silica and silica-based nanoparticles have been widely used for therapeutic and diagnostic applications in cancer mainly through delivery of drugs, genes and contrast agents. Development of synthesis methods has provided the possibility of fabricating silica nanoparticles with different sizes in nanometer ranges as well as silica-based multimodal nanoparticles with many innovative properties and intriguing applications in biomedicine. The surface of silica particles facilitates different methods of surface modifications and allows conjugation of various biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. In this review, different methods of fabrication of silica and silica-based nanoparticles, their surface modification and the application of these nanoparticles in molecular imaging are discussed. Overall, the aim of this review is to address the development of silica and silica-based multifunctional nanoparticles that are introduced mainly for molecular imaging applications using optical, magnetic (MRI), X-ray (computed tomography) and multimodal imaging techniques.

<p>Silica Nanoparticles Disturb Ion Channels and Transmembrane Potentials of Cardiomyocytes and Induce Lethal Arrhythmias in Mice</p>

“…[1][2][3][4] In the biomedical field, SiNPs are applied for food safety inspection, parasite diagnosis, molecular probes, imaging diagnosis, promotion of vascular regeneration, and oncotherapy, etc. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Synthetic SiNPs can enter the bodies of patients and healthy people through the skin, the respiratory tract, the digestive tract, and medical exposure, thus raising a biosafety concern about this nanomaterial. Increasing studies indicate that SiNPs can exert biological effects and toxicities after exposure.…”

Dual-Labeled Near-Infrared/99mTc Imaging Probes Using PAMAM-Coated Silica Nanoparticles for the Imaging of HER2-Expressing Cancer Cells

“…The PCSNs are surface-modified functionalized silica particles. Silica nanomaterials are suitable for nanomedicine because of their high tunability, uniform production, and relatively chemically inert, biocompatible, and water dispersible properties [ 15 , 16 ]. Among inorganic nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles are attracting great interest for clinical applications in molecular imaging and drug delivery, although clinical trials should be carried out to demonstrate their efficiencies and safety [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Bare Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Surface Tunability for Biomedical, Sensing and Environmental Applications

“…Silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 ) are not endowed with particular chemical-physical properties: Nevertheless, they found applications in biomedicine as versatile tools for designing nanosized probes and carriers [76]. Indeed, silica nanoparticles possess a well-defined and easily tunable surface chemistry, which can be modified with different functionalities and linked to different biomolecules, enabling the fine control of the interplay with biological entities [77]. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, characterized by pore sizes ranging from 2 to 50 nm, were excellent options for drug delivery and biomedical applications [78].…”