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Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery
Published on: January 15, 2018
Protonated nanoparticle surface governing ligand tethering and cellular targeting.
Abhilash Vincent1, Suresh Babu, Eric Heckert
1Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA.
ACS Nano
|April 17, 2009
Summary
Optimizing cerium oxide nanoparticle (CNP) surface properties enhances transferrin ligand binding and cellular uptake for targeted cancer drug delivery. This research highlights the importance of surface charge modification for improved nanoparticle-based therapies.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Computational Chemistry
Background:
- Nanoparticles offer potential for drug delivery due to their size and cell penetration.
- Surface modification and ligand conjugation are key for nanoparticle cellular targeting.
- Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) exhibit superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic activity and biocompatibility, making them suitable drug carriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between transferrin and CNPs using single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) and density functional theory (DFT) simulations.
- To understand how CNP surface properties influence transferrin binding and cellular uptake.
- To evaluate the potential of transferrin-conjugated CNPs for targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy (SMFS) to measure transferrin adhesion to CNPs.
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to predict binding energy and bond strength.
- Incubation of transferrin-conjugated CNPs with human lung cancer cells (A549) and normal lung cells (WI-38) to assess binding stability and cellular uptake.
Main Results:
- SMFS showed increased transferrin adhesion to CNPs with higher positive zeta potential.
- DFT calculations predicted stronger transferrin-CNP binding upon surface protonation and charge modification.
- Transferrin-conjugated CNPs demonstrated preferential binding and uptake by cancer cells compared to normal cells.
Conclusions:
- Tuning the surface properties of CNPs is crucial for optimizing ligand adsorption and enhancing cellular uptake.
- Surface charge modification of nanoparticles can improve the efficiency of targeted drug delivery systems.
- This study provides insights into the rational design of nanoparticle-based drug carriers for cancer therapy.
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