Redox-responsive hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles constructed via host–guest interactions for controllable drug release

Abstract

A novel redox-responsive hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) was constructed by host–guest interaction between β-cyclodextrin modified hollow mesoporus silica nanoparticles (HMS@β-CD) and the ferrocene-containing amphiphilic block copolymer PEG-b-PMAFc (PPFc), the prepared HMS@β-CD@PPFc system was used to control drug delivery in targeted cancer therapy through redox stimulus. The self-assembled morphology was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Intracellular localization of DOX-loaded HMS@β-CD@PPFc in A549 cells was further investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and the results indicated that DOX-loaded HMS@β-CD@PPFc was ingested by A549 cells effectively. Furthermore, the redox agent H₂O₂ was used to trigger the release of DOX. The cytotoxicity evaluated by MTT method indicated that HMS@β-CD@PPFc had good biocompatibility and was promising as the drug carrier.

Keywords:

• Redox-responsive
• host–guest interaction
• controllable release
• drug delivery

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Subject Innovation Team of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine (2019-PY02), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M613047), the Young Talent Fund of University Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China (No. 20160125 & 20170406) and the Scientific Research Projects of Shaanxi Education Department (19JK0232).