A versatile theranostic nanoplatform based on mesoporous silica

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer tunable properties for drug delivery and imaging.
• Developing multifunctional nanoplatforms is crucial for advanced theranostic applications.
• Targeted delivery to specific tissues like the lymph system remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform based on mesoporous silica.
• To achieve lymph system targeting for enhanced diagnosis and therapy.
• To integrate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) imaging, and chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Co-assembly of gadolinium (Gd) ions with mesoporous silica to form GM nanoparticles for MRI.
• Surface grafting of hyaluronic acid (HA) to achieve lymph targeting (GMH nanoparticles).
• Incorporation of Iopamidol (IGMH nanoparticles) for CT imaging and Doxorubicin (DOX) (DGMH nanoparticles) for chemotherapy.

Main Results:

• GMH, IGMH, and DGMH nanoparticles demonstrated high targeting efficiency in the lymph system, both in vitro and in vivo.
• IGMH nanoparticles enabled effective CT and MR imaging of the lymph system.
• DGMH nanoparticles showed promise for lymph cancer chemotherapy combined with MR imaging.

Conclusions:

• A versatile mesoporous silica nanoplatform was successfully developed for multifunctional theranostics.
• The nanoplatform exhibits excellent lymph targeting capabilities for combined diagnosis and therapy.
• This approach holds significant potential for advancing biological and clinical applications.