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Tetrahedral DNA–mediated biomineralization of calcium carbonate nanoparticles for pH-responsive drug delivery

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to harness the potential of biomineralization for the controlled fabrication of tetrahedral DNA (TDN)-mediated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles with applications in cancer therapy. While TDN has emerged as an efficient anti-cancer drug carrier, its inherent instability under physiological conditions poses challenges for sustained drug release. Biomineralization, known for its ability to maintain carrier morphology and stability in physiological environments, is leveraged in this research to enhance TDN’s drug delivery capabilities. In this study, we successfully synthesized TDN-mediated CaCO3 nanoparticles through a biomineralization process, with comprehensive characterization utilizing TEM, SEM, AFM, and DLS techniques. The morphology and crystal phase of the resulting CaCO3 nanoparticles, ranging from 10 to 100 nm, are precisely controlled by the presence of TDN. Remarkably, the engineered nanoparticles demonstrated efficient loading and controlled delivery of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (Dox), suggesting their potential for cancer therapy. The TDN-CaCO3 nanoparticles exhibited notable attributes including high drug loading efficiency (42.2%), favorable biocompatibility, pH responsiveness, and minimal cytotoxicity. The findings of this study underscore the potential of TDN-CaCO3 nanoparticles as a promising therapeutic agent for safe and effective cancer treatment, offering new avenues for innovative and efficient drug delivery strategies in the future.

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Data will be made available on request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank for Sisi Liu and Yuzhu Chen for their technical assistance.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22008151), Shanghai Sailing Program (No. 20YF1418000), Climbing Program of Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences (No. A3-0200–22-311008–1), High-Level Local University Construction Program of Shanghai (No. E1-2602–21-201006–1), and Academic Mentorship for Scientific Research Cadre Project (No. E3-0200–22-201007–14).

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Author notes

  1. Jing Cheng and Wenwen Sun contributed equally to this work and are considered co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Instrument, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China

    Jing Cheng, Meihua Xie, Hui Zhao, Dongdong Zeng & Xiangde Lin

  2. Department of Research, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, 201318, China

    Wenwen Sun

  3. Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Zeshan Zhang

  4. Graduate School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China

    Xiangde Lin

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  1. Jing Cheng
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Cheng, J., Sun, W., Zhang, Z. et al. Tetrahedral DNA–mediated biomineralization of calcium carbonate nanoparticles for pH-responsive drug delivery. J Nanopart Res 25, 211 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-023-05858-4

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