Rod-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles for nanomedicine: recent progress and perspectives

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Interest in mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery has resulted in a good understanding of the impact of size and surface chemistry of these nanoparticles on their performance as drug carriers. Shape has emerged as an additional factor that can have a significant effect on delivery efficacy. Rod-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles show improvements in drug delivery relative to spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Areas covered: This review summarises the synthesis methods for producing rod-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles for use in nanomedicine. The second part covers recent progress of mesoporous silica nanorods by comparing the impact of sphere and rod-shape on drug delivery efficiency.

Expert opinion: As hollow mesoporous silica nanorods are capable of higher drug loads than most other drug delivery vehicles, such particles will reduce the amount of mesoporous silica in the body for efficient therapy. However, the importance of nanoparticle shape on drug delivery efficiency is not well understood for mesoporous silica. Studies that visualize and quantify the uptake pathway of mesoporous silica nanorods in specific cell types and compare the cellular uptake to the well-studied nanospheres should be the focus of research to better understand the role of shape in uptake.

KEYWORDS:

• Drug delivery
• mesoporous silica
• nanoparticle shape
• nanorods

Article highlights

• Altering the shape of mesoporous silica from sphere to rod-shape does see a significantly higher drug-loading capacity.

• Hollow mesoporous silica nanorods can enhance drug-loading capacity even further. Hollow structures feature a large loading space, and the mesoporous structures provide some control over the drug release.

• Mesoporous silica nanorods are reported to be a highly biocompatible materials.

• The shape of mesoporous silica nanoparticles does influence the cellular uptake pathway.

• The shape of mesoporous silica is an important factor that need to be considered for the design of nanomedicine in vivo study

The pharmacokinetics of mesoporous silica nanomaterials is strongly influenced by their shape. This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

J.J.G acknowledges funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology (CE140100036) and the Australian research Council for an ARC Laureate Fellowship program (FL150100060).