Design of hybrid protein-coated magnetic core-mesoporous silica shell nanocomposites for MRI and drug release assessed in a 3D tumor cell model.

In this work, we describe the design and the use of a novel theranostic hybrid nanocomposite made of an iron oxide core and a mesoporous silica shell (IO@MS) of ca. 30 nm coated by human serum albumin (HSA) layer for magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery applications. The porosity of IO@MS nanoparticles was loaded with an antitumoral drug, Doxorubicin (Dox) reaching a high drug loading capacity (DLC) of 34 w%. To entrap the drug, a tight HSA coating held via isobutyramide (IBAM) binders was deposited. We show that this protein nanoassembly entraps the drugs efficiently and behaves as an innovative enzyme-sensitive gatekeeper that is degraded upon protease action. Finally we assess the Dox release in a 3D cell model via confocal imaging and its cytotoxicity is shown by growth inhibition studies on liver cancer cell spheroids.

Phosphate Capture Enhancement Using Designed Iron Oxide-Based Nanostructures.

Phosphates in high concentrations are harmful pollutants for the environment, and new and cheap solutions are currently needed for phosphate removal from polluted liquid media. Iron oxide nanoparticles show a promising capacity for removing phosphates from polluted media and can be easily separated from polluted media under an external magnetic field. However, they have to display a high surface area allowing high removal pollutant capacity while preserving their magnetic properties. In that context, the reproducible synthesis of magnetic iron oxide raspberry-shaped nanostructures (RSNs) by a modified polyol solvothermal method has been optimized, and the conditions to dope the latter with cobalt, zinc, and aluminum to improve the phosphate adsorption have been determined. These RSNs consist of oriented aggregates of iron oxide nanocrystals, providing a very high saturation magnetization and a superparamagnetic behavior that favor colloidal stability. Finally, the adsorption of phosphates as a function of pH, time, and phosphate concentration has been studied. The undoped and especially aluminum-doped RSNs were demonstrated to be very effective phosphate adsorbents, and they can be extracted from the media by applying a magnet.