Development of a new smart theranostic anti-PSMA-aptamer conjugated cationic-lipid coated mesoporous silica platform for targeted delivery of paclitaxel and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots to LNCaP cell line

Abstract

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted sufficient attention as one of the most capable carriers for the delivery of various cancer therapy and imaging agents. In the current study, MSNs with some modifications such as covering their surface with an anti-PSMA-aptamer functionalized thermo-responsive cationic-lipid coverage were used to target delivery of both paclitaxel (PTX) and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) to the PSMA+ prostate cancer cells. Briefly, sol-gel, hot injection, and thin film hydration methods were used to fabricate the MSNs, QDs, and lipid coverage, respectively. Characterization and bio-activity assessments of all products were performed by different analyses including XRD, SEM, TEM, DLS, FTIR, BET, entrapment efficiency (EE%) determining, MTT assay, and fluorescence microscopy. The results revealed that round-shaped Apt-L-MSNs with an average size of ∼150 nm were fabricated successfully while having given place PTX and QDs in their pores with ∼6 nm of size. The EE% of PTX was ∼88%. In addition, the release pattern revealed a sustained manner with twice more released PTX at 42 °C than at 37 °C. The MTT assay and fluorescence microscopy images demonstrated the promotion of cellular uptake of particles by LNCaP cells, leading to ∼80% of cell death with better performance than pure PTX. Overall, it seems that this strategy can be considered for biomedical applications. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.