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Nanoplatform based on GSH-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for cancer therapy and mitochondrial targeted imaging

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Abstract

Mitochondria, as the energy factory of most cells, are not only responsible for the generation of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP) but also essential targets for therapy and diagnosis of various diseases, especially cancer. The safe and potential nanoplatform which can deliver various therapeutic agents to cancer cells and mitochondrial targeted imaging is urgently required. Herein, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), cationic ligand (triphenylphosphine (TPP)), doxorubicin (DOX), and carbon nanodots (CDs) were utilized to fabricate mitochondrial targeting drug delivery system (denoted as CDs(DOX)@MSN-TPP@AuNPs). Since AuNPs, as the gatekeepers, can be etched by intracellular glutathione (GSH) via ligand exchange induced etching process, DOX can be released into cells in a GSH-dependent manner which results in the superior GSH-modulated tumor inhibition activity. Moreover, after etching by GSH, the CDs(DOX)@MSN-TPP@AuNPs can serve as promising fluorescent probe (λex = 633 nm, λem = 650 nm) for targeted imaging of mitochondria in living cells with near-infrared fluorescence. The induction of apoptosis derived from the membrane depolarization of mitochondria is the primary anti-tumor route of CDs(DOX)@MSN-TPP@AuNPs. As a kind of GSH-responsive mitochondrial targeting nanoplatform, it holds great promising for effective cancer therapy and mitochondrial targeted imaging.

Graphical abstract

The mitochondrial targeting drug delivery system was fabricated by AuNPs, MSN, TPP, and CDs. The nanoplatform can realize redox-responsive drug delivery and targeted imaging of mitochondria in living cells to improve the therapeutic efficiency and security.

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Funding

This work received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22073025, 21603067) and Hubei Nature Science Foundation of China (2019CFB748).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China

    Hang He, Song Meng, Haimin Li, Qingyuan Yang, Ziqiang Xu, Xueqin Chen, Zhengguang Sun, Bingbing Jiang & Cao Li

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  1. Hang He
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  2. Song Meng
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  3. Haimin Li
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  4. Qingyuan Yang
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  7. Zhengguang Sun
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  9. Cao Li
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Correspondence to Ziqiang Xu or Cao Li.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection Nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and targeting

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He, H., Meng, S., Li, H. et al. Nanoplatform based on GSH-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for cancer therapy and mitochondrial targeted imaging. Microchim Acta 188, 154 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-04810-4

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