H₂O₂-Responsive Boronic Ester-Modified Mesoporous Silica Nanocarrier for TfR Mediated Tumor-Specific Drug Delivery...

This study introduces a drug delivery system utilizing boronic ester-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP-BA-Tf) for targeted cancer therapy. By conjugating transferrin (Tf) to the MSNP surface, the system actively targets cancer cells via transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated endocytosis. The incorporation of boronic ester linkages enables hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-responsive drug release, enhancing therapeutic efficacy. In vitro experiments demonstrated that MSNP-BA-Tf effectively delivered doxorubicin (DOX) to cancer cells while sparing normal cells, as confirmed by fluorescence imaging and cytotoxicity assays. In vivo studies using a colon cancer xenograft model showed that DOX@MSNP-BA-Tf inhibited tumor growth more effectively than free DOX. These findings highlight MSNP-BA-Tf as a promising nanocarrier for cancer therapy, offering targeted and controlled drug delivery through active targeting and H₂O₂ responsiveness.