Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Synthesis, Functionalization, and Characterization of Fusogenic Porous Silicon Nanoparticles for Oligonucleotide Delivery
Published on: April 16, 2019
Toward biomedical application of amino-functionalized silicon nanoparticles
Cristian R Lillo1,2, María Natalia Calienni3, Roxana M Gorojod4
1Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), CCT-La Plata-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
Abstract:
Silicon blue-emitting nanoparticles (NPs) are promising effectors for photodynamic therapy and radiotherapy, because of their production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon irradiation.
Results:
Amino-functionalized silicon NPs (NH2SiNP) were intrinsically nontoxic below 100 μg/ml in vitro (on two tumor cell lines) and in vivo (zebrafish larvae and embryos). NH2SiNP showed a moderate effect as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and reduced ROS generation in radiotherapy, which could be indicative of a ROS scavenging effect. Encapsulation of NH2SiNP into ultradeformable liposomes improved their skin penetration after topical application, reaching the viable epidermis where neoplastic events occur.
Conclusion:
Subsequent derivatizations after amino-functionalization and incorporation to nanodrug delivery systems could expand the spectrum of the biomedical application of these kind of silicon NPs.
Related Concept Videos
Amino acids
Applications of Integration to Probability Density Functions
Functional Groups
Amino Acid Catabolism
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways
Mechanical Protein Functions

