Double Sequential Encrypted Targeting Sequence: A New Concept for Bone Cancer Treatment.

The selective transportation of therapeutic agents to tumoral cells is usually achieved by their conjugation with targeting moieties able to recognize these cells. Unfortunately, simple and static targeting systems usually show a lack in selectivity. Herein, a double sequential encrypted targeting system is proposed as a stimuli-responsive targeting analogue for selectivity enhancement. The system is able to recognize diseased bone tissue in the first place, and once there, a hidden secondary targeting group is activated by the presence of an enzyme overproduced in the malignant tissue (cathepsin K), thereby triggering the recognition of diseased cells. Transporting the cell targeting agent in a hidden conformation that contains a high selective tissular primary targeting, could avoid not only its binding to similar cell receptors but also the apparition of the binding-site barrier effect, which can enhance the penetration of the therapeutic agent within the affected zone. This strategy could be applied not only to conjugate drugs but also to drug-loaded nanocarriers to improve the efficiency for bone cancer treatments.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with hyaluronic acid. Effect of the biopolymer chain length on cell internalization.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were functionalized with amino groups (MSN-NH2) and then with hyaluronic acid, a biocompatible biopolymer which can be recognized by CD44 receptors in tumor cells, to obtain a targeting drug delivery system. To this purpose, three hyaluronic acid samples differing for the molecular weight, namely HAS (8-15 kDa), HAM (30-50 kDa) and HAL (90-130 kDa), were used. The MSN-HAS, MSN-HAM, and MSN-HAL materials were characterized through zeta potential and dynamic light scattering measurements at pH = 7.4 and T = 37 °C to simulate physiological conditions. While zeta potential showed an increasing negative value with the increase of the HA chain length, an anomalous value of the hydrodynamic diameter was observed for MSN-HAL, which was smaller than that of MSN-HAS and MSN-HAM samples. The cellular uptake of MSN-HA samples on HeLa cells at 37 °C was studied by optical and electron microscopy. HA chain length affected significantly the cellular uptake that occurred at a higher extent for MSN-NH2 and MSN-HAS than for MSN-HAM and MSN-HAL samples. Cellular uptake experiments carried out at 4 °C showed that the internalization process was inhibited for MSN-HA samples but not for MSN-NH2. This suggests the occurrence of two different mechanisms of internalization. For MSN-NH2 the uptake is mainly driven by the attractive electrostatic interaction with membrane phospholipids, while MSN-HA internalization involves CD44 receptors overexpressed in HeLa cells.

Adsorption and release of ampicillin antibiotic from ordered mesoporous silica.

In this work the adsorption and the release of ampicillin - a ß-lactam penicillin-like antibiotic - from MCM-41, SBA-15, and (amino functionalized) SBA-15-NH2 ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) materials were investigated. The silica matrices differ for their pore size (SBA-15 vs. MCM-41) mainly, and also for surface charge (SBA-15 and MCM-41, vs. SBA-15-NH2). OMS samples were characterized through small-angle X-rays scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and potentiometric titrations. The quantification of immobilized and released ampicillin was monitored by mean of UV-Vis spectroscopy. Experimental adsorption isotherms evidenced that ampicillin's loading is not related to the pore size (dBJH) of the adsorbent. Indeed the maximal loadings were 237mg/g for SBA-15 (dBJH=6.5nm), 278mg/g for MCM-41 (dBJH=2.2nm), and 333mg/g for SBA-15-NH2 (dBJH=5.6nm). Loading seems, instead, to be related to the surface charge density (σ) of the sorbent surface. Indeed, at pH 7.4 ampicillin drug is negatively charged and likely prefers to interact with SBA-15-NH2 (σSBA-15-NH2=+0.223Cm-2) rather than the slightly negatively charged silicas (σSBA-15=-0.044Cm-2 and σMCM-41=-0.033Cm-2). Similarly, ampicillin release is affected by interfacial interactions. Indeed, we found a burst release from pure silica samples (SBA-15 and MCM-41), whereas a sustained one from SBA-15-NH2 sample. We explain this behavior as a result of an attractive interaction between the protonated amino group of SBA-15-NH2 and the negatively charged carboxylate group of ampicillin. In summary, in order to obtain a sustained drug release, the chemical nature of the matrix's surface plays a role which is more important than its textural features. SBA-15-NH2 matrix is hence a suitable candidate for local sustained release of antibiotic drugs.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Functionalized with Hyaluronic Acid and Chitosan Biopolymers. Effect of Functionalization on Cell Internalization.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), based on the MCM-41 matrix, were functionalized with amino groups, and then with hyaluronic acid (HA) or chitosan (CHIT) to fabricate bioactive conjugates. The role of the functional groups toward cytotoxicity and cellular uptake was investigated using 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. A very high biocompatibility of MSN-NH2, MSN-HA and MSN-CHIT matrices was assessed through the MTS biological assay and Coulter counter evaluation. No significant differences in cytotoxicity data arise from the presence of different functional groups in the investigated MSNs. Fluorescence microscopy experiments performed using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated MSN-NH2, MSN-HA, and MSN-CHIT, and transmission electron microscopy experiments performed on slices of the investigated systems embedded in epoxy resins give evidence of significant differences due to type of functionalization in terms of cellular uptake and stability of the particles in the biological medium. MSN-NH2 and MSN-HA conjugates are easily internalized, the uptake of the HA-functionalized MSNs being much higher than that of the -NH2-functionalized MSNs. Differently, MSN-CHIT conjugates tend to give large aggregates dispersed in the medium or localized at the external surface of the cell membranes. Both fluorescence microscopy and TEM images show that the MSNs are distributed in the cytoplasm of the cells in the case of MSN-NH2 and MSN-HA, whereas only a few particles are internalized in the case of MSN-CHIT. Flow cytometry experiments confirmed quantitatively the selectively high cellular uptake of MSN-HA particles.

Re(I) derivatives functionalised with thioether crowns containing the 1,10-phenanthroline subunit as a new class of chemosensors.

A series of luminescent fac-[Re(CO)3(L)(NN)](+) complexes, where L is a pyridine or an imidazole and NN is the 1,10-phenanthroline subunit of mixed donor pentadentate thioether crowns have been synthesised and their luminescence properties have been analysed. Then, heterometallic Re(i)/Au(i) complexes, with the Au(i) fragment bonded directly to the imidazole ligand, and heterometallic Re(i)/Ag(i) complexes, with the silver fragment coordinating the S-donor thioether linker of the rings have also been prepared. Analysis of their luminescence properties showed a considerable blue shift of the emission maxima for the Re(i)/Ag(i) derivatives, upon coordination of the silver centre to the S-donor atoms of the aliphatic chain of the macrocyclic units.