Premium
A Multifunctional Nanocrystalline CaF 2 :Tm,Yb@mSiO 2 System for Dual‐Triggered and Optically Monitored Doxorubicin Delivery
Author(s) -
Li Yangyang,
Zhou Yurong,
Gu Tongxu,
Wang Gang,
Ren Zhaohui,
Weng Wenjian,
Li Xiang,
Han Gaorong,
Mao Chuanbin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.201600166
Subject(s) - nanoparticle , drug delivery , mesoporous silica , nanotechnology , doxorubicin , polyacrylic acid , materials science , nanocarriers , luminescence , small molecule , molecule , photothermal therapy , acceptor , nanocrystalline material , förster resonance energy transfer , mesoporous material , chemistry , fluorescence , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , polymer , medicine , surgery , chemotherapy , biochemistry , physics , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics , composite material , catalysis
Daunting challenges in investigating the controlled release of drugs in complicated intracellular microenvironments demand the development of stimuli‐responsive drug delivery systems. Here, a nanoparticle system, CaF 2 :Tm,Yb@mSiO 2 , made of a mesoporous silica (mSiO 2 ) nanosphere with CaF 2 :Tm,Yb upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) is developed, filling its mesopores and with its surface‐modified with polyacrylic acid for binding the anticancer drug molecules (doxorubicin, DOX). The unique design of CaF 2 :Tm,Yb@mSiO 2 enables us to trigger the drug release by two mechanisms. One is the pH‐triggered mechanism, where drug molecules are preferentially released from the nanoparticles at acidic conditions unique for the intracellular environment of cancer cells compared to normal cells. Another is the 808 nm near infrared (NIR)‐triggered mechanism, where 808 nm NIR induces the heating of the nanoparticles to weaken the electrostatic interaction between drug molecules and nanoparticles. In addition, luminescence resonance energy transfer occurs from the UCNPs (the energy donor) to the DOX drug (the energy acceptor) in the presence of 980 nm NIR irradiation, allowing us to monitor the drug release by detecting the vanishing blue emission from the UCNPs. This study demonstrates a new multifunctional nanosystem for dual‐triggered and optically monitored drug delivery, which will facilitate the rational design of personalized cancer therapy.