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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Contrast Ultrasound Targeted Treatment of Gliomas in Mice via Drug-Bearing Nanoparticle Delivery and Microvascular Ablation
Published on: December 15, 2010
Ultrasound-Triggered Destruction of Folate-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Loaded Microbubble for
Yongjiu Lv1, Yang Cao2, Pan Li2
1Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing Research Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, P. R. China.
Abstract:
A multifunctional drug delivery vehicle, which combines the active targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) and microbubble (MB) drug delivery system, is proposed and fabricated. The resulting delivery vehicle integrates the merits of high drug loading capacity, multitargeting, and ultrasound-guided releasing. Folate (FA), which serves as an active ligand, is modified to the surface of MSN (MSN-FA) to enhance cell membrane translocation. MSN-FA is loaded with tanshinone IIA (TAN), then encapsulated in a microbubble (denoted as MSN-FA-TAN-MB) for more precise tumor targeting. The conjunction between FA and MSN is confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The characteristics and morphology of MSN-FA-TAN-MB are investigated by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies of MSN-FA-TAN-MB are conducted on A549 and HeLa tumor cells. FA-facilitated MSN-FA-TAN uptake is shown by HeLa cells that overexpress FA receptors via a FA-receptor-mediated endocytosis mechanism. The ultrasound response property of MSN-FA-TAN-MB is also verified. MSN-FA-TAN-MB shows significant antitumor efficacy in vivo with the assistance of FA, MB, and an external ultrasound irradiation. Thus, this multifunctional vehicle may provide a novel strategy for tumor targeting and imaging in tumor therapy.
