Application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery to cancer cells

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is the most common method for cancer therapy which represent non-specific side effects on normal cells and tissues and drug resistance in cancer cells. There are two main mechanisms for Multi Drug Resistance (MDR) in cancer cells including: drug efflux pump and activation of anti-apoptotic pathways. Cancer chemotherapy disadvantages can be overcome by using nanoparticulate drug delivery systems like Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs) that have been used as drug delivery system since 2001. The present review included synthesis, targeted (active or passive) drug delivery to cancer cells, co-delivery of anticancer drugs and siRNA by MSNs and its toxicity. This review revealed that MSNs are good candidate for drug delivery to cancer cells due to its unique properties including: controllable pore and particle sizes, thermal and chemical stability, modifications of outer and inner surfaces of nanoparticles for drug and siRNA loading, attachment of ligand for targeted drug delivery, high drug loading capacity and controlled drug release, biocompatibility and biodegradation in aqueous medium.