Dual‐Action Cancer Therapy with Targeted Porous Silicon Nanovectors

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 13; no. 29
• Main Authors: Cifuentes‐Rius, Anna, Ivask, Angela, Sporleder, Ester, Kaur, Ishdeep, Assan, Yasmin, Rao, Shasha, Warther, David, Prestidge, Clive A., Durand, Jean‐Olivier, Voelcker, Nicolas H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-08-2017
• Subjects: Bioaccumulation; Cancer; Chemotherapy; cytotoxicity; drug delivery; Drug delivery systems; Electromagnetic fields; Gold; nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Payloads; Porous silicon; Side effects; Silicon; Toxicity; Tumors; cancer; nanoparticles; drug delivery; cytotoxicity
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201701201

There is a pressing need to develop more effective therapeutics to fight cancer. An idyllic chemotherapeutic is expected to overcome drug resistance of tumors and minimize harmful side effects to healthy tissues. Antibody‐functionalized porous silicon nanoparticles loaded with a combination of chemotherapy drug and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are developed. These nanocarriers are observed to selectively deliver both payloads, the chemotherapy drug and AuNCs, to human B cells. The accumulation of AuNCs to target cells and subsequent exposure to an external electromagnetic field in the microwave region render them more susceptible to the codelivered drug. This approach represents a targeted two‐stage delivery nanocarrier that benefits from a dual therapeutic action that results in enhanced cytotoxicity.
Combo cancer killer: Antibody‐coated and highly porous silicon‐based nanocarriers can actively target and selectively deliver multiple therapeutics for the combination of chemotherapy and hyperthermia. This synergistic treatment can maximize targeted cytotoxicity at the lowest possible doses.