Polyaspartic acid-anchored mesoporous silica nanoparticles for pH-responsive doxorubicin release

Background Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems exhibit promising therapeutic efficacy in cancer chemotherapy. However, ideal nano drug carriers are supposed to be sufficiently internalized into cancer cells and then release therapeutic cargoes in response to certain intracellular stimuli, which has never been an easy task to achieve. Objective This study is to design mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs)-based pH-responsive nano drug delivery system that is effectively internalized into cancer cells and then release drug in response to lysosomal/endosomal acidified environment. Methods We synthesized MSNs by sol-gel method. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated into the pores as a model drug. Polyaspartic acid (PAsA) was anchored on the surface of mesoporous MSNs (P-MSNs) as a gatekeeper via amide linkage and endowed MSNs with positive charge. Results In vitro release analysis demonstrated enhanced DOX release from DOX-loaded PAsA-anchored MSNs (DOX@P-MSNs) under endosomal/lysosomal acidic pH condition. Moreover, more DOX@P-MSNs were internalized into HepG2 cells than DOX-loaded MSNs (DOX@MSNs) and free DOX revealed by flow cytometry. Likewise, confocal microscopic images revealed that DOX@P-MSNs effectively released DOX and translocated to the nucleus. Much stronger cytotoxicity of DOX@P-MSNs against HepG2 cells was observed compared with DOX@MSNs and free DOX. Conclusion DOX@P-MSNs were successfully fabricated and achieved pH-responsive DOX release. We anticipated this nanotherapeutics might be suitable contenders for future in vivo cancer chemotherapeutic applications.