Multifunctional hydroxyapatite with potential for application in theranostic nanomedicine

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Materials Chemistry

Background:

• Current theranostic materials face challenges including high cost, low yield, nanoparticle instability, and toxicity.
• There is a need for cost-effective, biocompatible, and multifunctional materials for theranostic applications in medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel theranostic system based on hydroxyapatite (HAp) functionalized with europium (Eu³⁺) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles.
• To evaluate the synthesized material's biocompatibility, luminescence, antibacterial activity, drug loading capacity, and efficacy in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Hydroxyapatite (HAp) was synthesized via precipitation and subsequently doped with Eu³⁺.
• Functionalization with ZnO nanoparticles was achieved through a solid-state reaction method.
• Characterization involved photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, hemolysis assays, drug adsorption tests, and in vitro cytotoxicity assays with sarcoma 180 tumor cells.

Main Results:

• The synthesized [Ca_9.5Eu_0.5(PO₄)₆(OH)₂@ZnO] material exhibited characteristic Eu³⁺ photoluminescence and confirmed HAp as the major phase via XRD.
• The material demonstrated significant antibacterial activity and hemocompatibility (1.85% hemolysis).
• High drug adsorption capacities were observed for 5-Fluorouracil (43.0%) and curcumin (84.0%).
• In vitro studies showed the HAp:Eu@ZnO system is non-toxic and effectively internalized by cancer cells, leading to up to 39.0% cell death via endocytosis.

Conclusions:

• The developed HAp:Eu@ZnO theranostic system is a low-cost, simple-to-synthesize material with promising multifunctional properties.
• It exhibits biocompatibility, luminescence, antibacterial effects, and significant potential for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy.
• The material's ability to be internalized by cancer cells enhances its antineoplastic vectorization capabilities.