基于碳点多功能纳米载药体系的制备及pH响应释药性能研究

采用一步微波法成功制备了表面带氨基的荧光纳米碳点CDots, 并通过酰胺化反应将靶向基团叶酸接枝到碳点表面, 成功获得中间产物CDots-FA. 在此基础上, 通过已合成四臂端酰肼基化合物2与抗肿瘤药物阿霉素(DOX)连接, 实现在碳点表面的阿霉素药物分子的化学键合, 最终获得多功能纳米载药体系DOX-CDots-FA. 利用原子力显微镜(AFM)、高分辨透射电镜(HR-TEM)和荧光光谱仪对荧光纳米碳点CDots的性能进行表征, 并通过核磁共振、紫外-可见吸收光谱对DOX-CDots-FA结构、接枝率进行了表征. 同时对纳米载药体系DOX-CDots-FA体外药物释放行为、细胞毒性及细胞摄取成像进行了系统的研究. 结果表明, DOX-CDots-FA具有良好的pH响应性. 叶酸靶向基团能加速DOX-CDots-FA被HeLa (FR+)细胞摄取, 并表现出更强的细胞毒性. 同时细胞摄入成像实验表明, 在叶酸靶向作用下, DOX-CDots-FA通过内吞作用进入HeLa细胞, 随后阿霉素被释放出来并进入细胞核区域, 抑制细胞的生长, 从而实现靶向治疗, 降低毒副作用.     

点击功能化的叶酸受体靶向荧光纳米探针用于肿瘤细胞成像

采用点击化学偶联法对荧光二氧化硅纳米粒子表面进行叶酸功能化修饰,构建了一种叶酸受体靶向的荧光纳米探针,并成功用于肿瘤细胞的成像研究.首先通过St?ber法制备包裹钌联吡啶的荧光二氧化硅纳米粒子(RSiNPs),然后利用叠氮化硅烷偶联剂(Az-PTES)的水解反应在其表面引入叠氮基团,最后通过点击化学反应将炔丙基叶酸衍生物偶联到粒子表面.利用红外光谱对其偶联前后的叠氮基特征峰(2105 cm-1)进行表征,证实了叶酸功能化的荧光纳米探针(RSiNPs-Folate)已被成功制备.在生理pH条件下,以458 nm为激发波长,RSiNPs-Folate在601 nm处发射较强的红色荧光,且光稳定性较好.细胞成像结果表明,这种叶酸受体靶向的荧光纳米探针能够有效地标记叶酸受体呈阳性的人宫颈癌细胞(HeLa),而叶酸受体呈阴性的人肺癌细胞(A549)未观察到明显的荧光.叶酸竞争性结合实验证明了这种叶酸受体介导的肿瘤细胞成像机制.此探针能够实现混合细胞体系中HeLa细胞的选择性识别与荧光成像.与酰胺化反应偶联叶酸相比,这种点击功能化的纳米探针的合成方法简单、反应条件温和、产率高,可用于不同肿瘤细胞的荧光标记与成像.     

叶酸修饰星型端氨基PEG-PLGA纳米胶束的制备及肿瘤细胞靶向作用

合成了星型多臂端氨基聚乙二醇(PEG)/聚乳酸-羟基乙酸(PLGA)两亲性嵌段共聚物(4s-PLGA-PEG-NH₂), 并通过核磁共振和凝胶渗滤色谱法对其结构进行表征; 采用溶剂挥发法制备阿霉素载药纳米胶束, 利用EDC缩合法与叶酸偶联, 得到叶酸修饰的星型端氨基PEG-PLGA纳米胶束; 采用动态光散射、 紫外光谱及透射电镜等手段对纳米胶束进行了表征; 对载药纳米胶束在HeLa细胞中的摄取及细胞毒性进行了初步评价. 结果表明, 经叶酸修饰的星型多臂端氨基PEG-PLGA载药纳米胶束可有效提高HeLa细胞的摄取率以及对HeLa细胞的杀伤率, 表明其可作为一类新型的靶向抗肿瘤药物递送载体.     

pH/酶/光热多重响应的金纳米笼/透明质酸核壳结构纳米载体的制备与性能

以金纳米笼(AuNC)为核, 巯基化改性的透明质酸(LC-HA)为壳, 盐酸阿霉素(DOX)为药物模型, 通过简单的一锅法制备了核壳结构载药纳米粒子DOX@AuNC@HA(DAH). 金纳米笼为药物装载提供容器且赋予载体光热性能, 改性的透明质酸对金纳米笼进行包封并提供pH/酶响应及靶向介导功能. 对DAH的结构进行了表征, 并进行了载药、 控释性能以及细胞摄取和细胞毒性的研究. 结果表明, 核壳结构纳米微粒DAH具有较高的载药能力, 在激光源的照射下具有较好的循环稳定性和较高的光热转换率. 在pH=7.4的磷酸盐缓冲液中, DAH具有较高的稳定性, 20 h的药物泄露率低于20%; 而在酸性环境、 透明质酸酶(HAase)及光热作用下, DAH均能较快地释放出装载的药物, 展现出较好的刺激响应性. 此外, DAH能够更多地被肿瘤细胞摄取, 表现出一定的靶向性; 当化疗与光热疗法共同作用时, 肿瘤细胞的活性大大减弱, 展现出了联合疗法的优势及潜力.     

~(64)Cu-NOTA-Herceptin的设计、活性测定及肿瘤靶向分子显像研究

利用双功能螯合剂2-[(4-异硫氰基苯基)甲基]-1,4,7-三氮杂环九烷-1,4,7-三乙酸(NCS-Bz-NOTA)对Herceptin单抗表面的氨基进行修饰获得了NOTA-Herceptin,通过基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF)对该偶联物进行了表征.利用酶联免疫吸附测定了偶联前后Herceptin抗体效价的改变.利用新型正电子核素~(64)Cu标记,获得可用于肿瘤放射靶向精准诊疗的~(64)Cu-NOTA-Herceptin探针,其标记率为90%,放化纯度98%,比活度185 MBq/nmol.分别进行了该探针在HER2过表达胃癌细胞NCI-N87及HER2低表达胃癌细胞BGC823等肿瘤细胞中的摄取实验,测定了该探针的肿瘤特异性.建立了荷人胃癌BGC823裸鼠模型,通过微型正电子断层显像(Micro-PET)设备观察了探针在模型动物体内的代谢情况:在静脉注射7.4 MBq~(64)Cu-NOTA-Herceptin探针后,分别于4和60 h进行正电子断层显像(PET)的显像,观察到其在肿瘤部位的摄取有所富集,且随着代谢时间的延长,肝脏部位摄取得到明显降低.研究结果表明,~(64)Cu-NOTAHerceptin探针有望应用于肿瘤放射性靶向诊疗.     

靶向纳米钻石-甲氨蝶呤药物体系制备及与MCF-7细胞作用

以羧基化纳米钻石(ND-COOH)为基体, 通过共价键合方法将聚乙二醇二胺(H₂N-PEG-NH₂)、 叶酸(FA)和缩水甘油(GLY)偶联于ND-COOH表面, 赋予纳米钻石载体较好的水溶分散性和靶向性, 借助氢键和范德华力等作用力负载甲氨蝶呤(MTX), 得到靶向纳米钻石-聚乙二醇二胺-叶酸/缩水甘油/甲氨蝶呤(ND-PEG-FA/GLY/MTX NPF/G/M)纳米药物体系. 采用透射电子显微镜、 X射线能量色散谱、 粒径及电位测试证实已制备NPF/G/M. 体外释药发现NPF/G/M在肿瘤环境(pH=5.5)中的药物释放量为正常生理环境(pH=7.4)中的3倍, 表明其具有良好的药物输送特性. 此外, 利用流式细胞术和MTT毒性测试探究了MCF-7细胞摄取NPF/G/M的机制及动力学特性和细胞毒性, 结果表明NPF/G/M以依赖能量、 温度、 网格蛋白、 小窝蛋白和叶酸受体介导的机制进入细胞, 从而将药物缓慢释放于细胞内, 进而诱导细胞凋亡. 研究结果表明, NPF/G/M可作为一种良好的药物输送体系, 为其应用于乳腺癌的临床治疗提供理论参考.     

pH敏感性叶酸修饰羧甲基壳聚糖纳米粒子作为紫杉醇载体的研究

将活化的叶酸分子连接到O-羧甲基壳聚糖(O-CMCS)上.以CaCl2为交联剂,通过离子交联法制备叶酸修饰的O-CMCS纳米粒子(FCC NPs),并开展了从FCC NPs作为抗癌药物紫杉醇(PTX)载体的研究.结果表明:FCC NPs呈球形,粒子大小约190 nm,对PTX的载药量和包封率均受PTX加入量的影响.该纳米粒子对药物的释放具有较好的pH敏感性,能够增强PTX在癌细胞处的富集.同时,该纳米粒子无细胞毒性,纳米粒子表面由于叶酸的存在使其具有较好的细胞靶向性,且载药纳米粒子对癌细胞生长具有良好的抑制作用.     

金纳米笼探针用于线粒体成像和光热损伤细胞

线粒体是许多细胞行为的关键调节细胞器,线粒体膜电位降低被认为是细胞凋亡所发生的最早事件之一,因此线粒体成像及其膜电位的检测分析,对疾病的检测与治疗有重要的科学意义.采用金纳米笼(Aunanocages,Au NCs)介导的光热损伤与温度敏感的药物释放相结合,开发了一种线粒体靶向的荧光纳米探针AuNCs/PLEL/JC/KLA.引入一种线粒体靶向肽(KLAKLAKKLAKLAK,KLA),作为纳米探针的“指向标”,指引着探针特异地靶向到细胞线粒体部位,随后在近红外光的照射下, AuNCs吸收光能转化为热量,实现光热介导的细胞损伤.同时,高温促使外层温敏水凝胶发生凝胶-溶胶转变,实现荧光染料(JC-10)的释放.所释放的JC-10荧光染料可根据线粒体的活力表现出两种荧光信号,用于监测线粒体膜电位的变化.总之,该荧光纳米探针不仅实现了线粒体靶向的荧光成像与损伤细胞,同时还可以监测线粒体膜电位的变化.     

叶酸修饰的具有靶向功能的Mn_3O_4造影剂的制备及其在核磁共振成像中的应用

通过高温热解的方法制备出Mn3O4纳米粒子,再利用正硅酸四乙酯(TEOS)包硅改善其水溶性和稳定性,通过加入3-氨基丙基三乙氧基硅烷(APTES)使纳米粒子表面接入大量氨基,最后再连接增加磁性纳米粒子生物相容性的有机分子聚乙二醇(PEG)和靶向分子叶酸(FA),得到Mn3O4靶向造影剂.体外实验表明,该造影剂具有低的细胞毒性,并对宫颈癌细胞具有较好的磁共振增强成像效果以及主动靶向作用.     

Gd3+与RGD共修饰量子点用于胰腺癌细胞的荧光及MR双模态成像

结合磁共振成像(MRI)和荧光成像技术,以钆离子(Gd3+)、量子点及精氨酸(R)-甘氨酸(G)-天冬氨酸(D)(RGD)多肽等为功能单元,采用纳米载体组装技术构建了MRI弛豫率/荧光效率高和靶向性强的Gd3+与RGD共修饰的量子点双模态纳米探针(QDs@Gd3+-RGD),并将其用于胰腺癌细胞的双模态成像.实验结果表明,QDs@Gd3+-RGD双模态纳米探针具有较高的弛豫率,且能对胰腺癌patu8988细胞进行荧光和T1-weighted MR成像.     

Interactions of Renal‐Clearable Gold Nanoparticles with Tumor Microenvironments: Vasculature and Acidity Effects

The success of nanomedicines in the clinic depends on our comprehensive understanding of nano–bio interactions in tumor microenvironments, which are characterized by dense leaky microvasculature and acidic extracellular pH (pH_e) values. Herein, we investigated the accumulation of ultrasmall renal‐clearable gold NPs (AuNPs) with and without acidity targeting in xenograft mouse models of two prostate cancer types, PC‐3 and LNCaP, with distinct microenvironments. Our results show that both sets of AuNPs could easily penetrate into the tumors but their uptake and retention were mainly dictated by the tumor microvasculature and the enhanced permeability and retention effect over the entire targeting process. On the other hand, increased tumor acidity indeed enhanced the uptake of AuNPs with acidity targeting, but only for a limited period of time. By making use of simple surface chemistry, these two effects can be synchronized in time for high tumor targeting, opening new possibilities to further improve the targeting efficiencies of nanomedicines.     

Near-Infrared Light Irradiation of Porphyrin-Modified Gold Nanoparticles Promotes Cancer-Cell-Specific Cytotoxicity

The use of nanoparticles has been investigated as a new cancer treatment. These can induce specific cytotoxicity in cancer cells. In particular, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique characteristics. The maximum absorption spectrum of AuNPs can be adjusted to modify their size or shape to absorb near-infrared light that can penetrate into tissue without photodamage. Thus, the combination of AuNPs and near-infrared light can be used to treat cancer in deep-seated organs. To obtain effective cancer-specific accumulation of AuNPs, we focused on porphyrin and synthesized a porphyrin-attached Au compound: Au-HpD. In this study, we investigated whether Au-HpD possesses cancer-specific accumulation and cytotoxicity. Intracellular Au-HpD accumulation was higher in cancer cells than in normal cells. In order to analyze the cytotoxicity induced by Au-HpD, cancer cells and normal cells were co-cultured in the presence of Au-HpD; then, they were subjected to 870 nm laser irradiation. We observed that, after laser irradiation, cancer cells showed significant morphological changes, such as chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation indicative of cell apoptosis. This strong effect was not observed when normal cells were irradiated. Moreover, cancer cells underwent cell apoptosis with combination therapy.     

FSiNPs mediated improved double immunofluorescence staining for gastric cancer cells imaging

A fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FSiNPs) mediated double immunofluorescence staining technique has been proposed for MGC-803 gastric cancer cells imaging by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Anti-CEA antibody and anti-CK19 antibody which can be both bonded to MGC-803 gastric cancer cells were first conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FFSiNPs) and RuBPY doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (RFSiNPs), respectively. The MGC-803 gastric cancer cells were incubated with the mixture of anti-CEA antibody-conjugated FFSiNPs and anti-CK19 antibody-conjugated RFSiNPs, and subsequently imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy. With this method, the in vitro cultured MGC-803 gastric cancer cells lines were successfully doubled labeled and distinguished through antigen-antibody recognition, together with the green and red signal of FFSiNPs and RFSiNPs simultaneously obtained without crossreactivity by confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging. By comparison with the conventional double immunofluorescence staining using green-emitting and red-emitting dyes, the photostability of this proposed method for confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging has been greatly improved. Furthermore, the ex vivo imaging of primary MGC-803 gastric cancer cells samples came from the tumor tissues of mice bearing the MGC gastric cancer tumor xenografts by this method have also been explored. The results demonstrate that the method offers potential advantage of photostability for the confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging of MGC-803 gastric cancer cells, and is applicable to the imaging of primary MGC-803 gastric cancer cells from the tumor tissues.     

Rapid synthesis of bovine serum albumin-conjugated gold nanoparticles using pulsed laser ablation and their anticancer activity on hela cells

Nanoscience research aims to produce nanoparticles without adverse effects for medical applications. The pulsed laser ablation (PLA) technique was utilized in this study to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using bovine serum albumin (BSA) in simulated body fluid (SBF) at the fundamental wavelength of the Nd: YAG laser (1064 nm). BSA acted as a stabilizer, reducing and capping agent to produce spherically shaped AuNPs (diameter 3–10 nm). The successful synthesis of AuNPs was confirmed through color changes and UV–vis spectroscopy. The agglomeration and precipitation of AuNPs are attributed to the presence of BSA in the solution, and electrostatic repulsion interactions between BSA and Au nanoclusters. The effect of salt concentration of SBF on BSA stability as well as the interaction of BSA conjugated AuNPs to form complexes was studied using molecular dynamic simulations. Our results show that the stability of AuNPs-BSA conjugates increase with the salt concentration of BSA. Moreover, the synthesized AuNPs exhibit low toxicity and high biocompatibility, supporting their application in drug delivery. Investigation of the cytotoxic effect of the synthesized AuNPs show that normal fibroblast cells (L929) remain intact after treatment whereas a dose-dependent inhibition effect on the growth of cervix cancer cells (HeLa) is observed. In general, this study presents an effective, environmentally-friendly, and facile approach to the synthesis of multifunctional AuNPs using the PLA technique, as a promising efficacious therapeutic treatment of cervical cancer.     

LyP-1 peptide-functionalized gold nanoprisms for SERRS imaging and tumor growth suppressing by PTT induced-hyperthermia

The gold nanoprisms (GNPs) have exhibited special plasmonic properties for biomedical applications because of their unique shapes and dimensions. Based on their optical performance, the NIR dye IR780 not only enabled the GNPs-based nanosystem as SERRS nanoparticles for Raman-encoded molecular imaging, but also enhanced the plasmonic photothermal property by laser irradiation. Meanwhile, the GNPs/IR780-Lyp-1 by introduction of tumor-homing peptide segment LyP-1, which presents high affinity to p32 protein, demonstrated the increased enrichment in tumor region and enhanced photothermal therapy efficacy.     

Formulation of gold nanoparticles with hibiscus and curcumin extracts induced anti-cancer activity

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown a potential for biological applications due to their biocompatibility and high efficiency in drug delivery. Most of the times, the chemical routs are being used to synthesize the AuNPs products. In this paper, eco-friendly non-chemical rout was used to prepare AuNPs by utilizing hibiscus and curcumin extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents, and subsequently their anticancer activities were investigated. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis spectroscopy), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV–Vis spectroscopy analysis confirmed the characteristics absorption peak of gold, and FTIR findings were highlighted the characteristics boding. SEM and TEM analyses showed that the particles were predominantly spherical in shape. The particles were well dispersed when they were prepared under Hibiscus extracts with average size ～ 13 nm. An interesting morphology was observed when AuNPs were prepared with curcumin, where particles displayed an interconnected morphology (average size ～ 18 nm). The anticancer cell activity of AuNPs was studied against human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and breast cancer cells (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7)). The results of anticancer study showed that the treatment of cancer cells with AuNPs decreased the number of cells significantly as compared to control cells. The AuNPs -Hibiscus specimen showed a better inhibiting property than AuNPs -Curcumin, which is attributed to their uniform dispersion and small size.     

Rational designing of glyco-nanovehicles to target cellular heterogeneity

The aberrant expression of endocytic epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) in cancer cells has emerged as a key target for therapeutic intervention. Here, we describe for the first time a state-of-the-art design for a heparan sulfate (HS) oligosaccharide-based nanovehicle to target EGFR-overexpressed cancer cells in cellular heterogeneity. An ELISA plate IC₅₀ inhibition assay and surface plasma resonance (SPR) binding assay of structurally well-defined HS oligosaccharides showed that 6-O-sulfation (6-O-S) and 6-O-phosphorylation (6-O-P) of HS tetrasaccharides significantly enhanced EGFR cognate growth factor binding. The conjugation of these HS ligands to multivalent fluorescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) enabled the specific and efficient targeting of EGFR-overexpressed cancer cells. In addition, this heparinoid-nanovehicle exhibited selective homing to NPs in cancer cells in three-dimensional (3D) coculture spheroids, thus providing a novel target for cancer therapy and diagnostics in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Heparan sulfate oligosaccharide based nanovehicle greatly enhance the selective targeting of cancer cells in tumor microenvironment.     

Cisplatin-tethered gold nanoparticles that exhibit enhanced reproducibility, drug loading, and stability: a step closer to pharmaceutical approval?

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be used as delivery vehicles for platinum anticancer drugs, improving their targeting and uptake into cells. Here, we examine the appropriateness of different-sized AuNPs as components of platinum-based drug-delivery systems, investigating their controlled synthesis, reproducibility, consistency of drug loading, and stability. The active component of cisplatin was tethered to 25, 55, and 90 nm AuNPs, with the nanoparticles being almost spherical in nature and demonstrating good batch-to-batch reproducibility (24.37 ± 0.62, 55.2 ± 1.75, and 89.1 ± 2.32 nm). The size distribution of 25 nm AuNPs has been significantly improved, compared with a previous method that produces polydispersed nanoparticles. Attachment of platinum to the AuNP surface through a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linker exhibits an increase in the drug loading with increasing particle size: 25 nm (815 ± 106 drug molecules per AuNP), 55 nm (14216 ± 880), and 90 nm (54487 ± 15996). The stability of the naked, PEGylated, and platinum-conjugated nanoparticles has been examined over time under various conditions. When stored at 4 °C, there is minimal variation in the diameter for all three AuNP sizes; variation after 28 days for the 25 nm AuNPs was 2.4%; 55 nm, 3.3%; and 90 nm, 3.6%. The 25 nm AuNPs also demonstrate minimal changes in UV-visible absorbance over the same time period.     

Characterization of Labeled Gold Nanoparticles for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Noble metal nanoparticles (NP) such as gold (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can produce ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals owing to their plasmonic properties. AuNPs have been widely investigated for their biocompatibility and potential to be used in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics or combined for theranostics. In this work, labeled AuNPs in suspension were characterized in terms of size dependency of their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and SERS activity. The study was conducted using a set of four Raman labels or reporters, i.e., small molecules with large scattering cross-section and a thiol moiety for chemisorption on the AuNP, namely 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), 2-naphthalenethiol (2-NT), 4-acetamidothiophenol (4-AATP), and biphenyl-4-thiol (BPT), to investigate their viability for SERS tagging of spherical AuNPs of different size in the range 5 nm to 100 nm. The results showed that, when using 785 nm laser excitation, the SERS signal increases with the increasing size of AuNP up to 60 or 80 nm. The signal is highest for BPT labelled 80 nm AuNPs followed by 4-AATP labeled 60 nm AuNPs, making BPT and 4-AATP the preferred candidates for Raman labelling of spherical gold within the range of 5 nm to 100 nm in diameter.     

Ribbon of DNA Lattice on Gold Nanoparticles for Selective Drug Delivery to Cancer Cells

Herein, we report on the design of a programmable DNA ribbon using long‐chain DNA molecules with a user‐defined repetitive padlock sequence. The DNA ribbon can be further combined with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to create a composite nanomaterial that contains an AuNP core and a high‐density DNA crown carrying a cancer‐cell‐targeting DNA aptamer, a fluorescent tag for location tracking, and a cell‐killing drug. This composite material can be efficiently internalized by cancer cells and its cellular location can be tracked by fluorescence imaging. The system offers several attractive characteristics, including simple design, tunable DNA crown, high drug‐loading capacity, selective cell targeting, and pH‐sensitive drug release. These features make such a material a promising therapeutic agent.