Mannose-conjugated layered double hydroxide nanocomposite for targeted siRNA delivery to enhance cancer therapy

Sheet-like layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (LDH NPs) have showed great potentials in biomedical applications such as nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery, biosensors and imaging agents. However, target delivery of drugs and genes using LDH NPs to the desired tumor sites is a major challenge in cancer therapy. The aim of this study is to develop a functional LDH-based nanocomposite for target delivery of siRNA to cancer cells. Mannose as a targeting moiety was firstly conjugated onto SiO₂-coated LDH nanocomposite. Cellular uptake data have demonstrated that siRNA is more efficiently delivered to osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells by mannose-conjugated SiO₂ coated LDH nanocomposite (Man-SiO₂@LDH) compared to unmodified LDH NP. A commercial cell death-siRNA (CD-siRNA) delivered by Man-SiO₂@LDH can kill cancer cells more effectively. These results reveal that the Man-SiO₂@LDH nanocomposite is capable of target-delivering siRNA or drugs to tumor cells for more effective cancer treatment, which provides great potentials in cancer therapy.