In this study, a filter-like blocking system based on MSN with small gatekeeper 5- mercapto-2 nitrobenzoic acid (MNBA) has developed. The MNBA grafted nanoparticle MSN-SS-MNBA shows excellent blocking performance with negligible leakage when loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), and the release profiles illustrate stimuli-responsive property when triggered by GSH. Viability experiments indicate that MSN-SS-MNBA has obvious inhibition for both Hela cells and HCT116 cells, while showing good biocompatibility for L929 cells, which suggests that the modified MNBA has a synergistic effect on cancer cells-killing. Since the small grafted molecule MNBA cannot block the channels of MSN via self-assembly, a filter-like blocking model that the loaded drug bridged with modified MNBA to fulfill the blocking process is proposed. The novel blocking strategy provides a new possible way for pore blocking, and the small nanovalve can be used as synergistic molecule for cancer therapy.
As drug-delivery carriers for cancer chemotherapy, gatekeeper-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been widely studied due to their high drug-loading capability, controlled drug release property and good biocompatibility. However, the currently reported gatekeeper-capped MSNs suffer from complex synthetic procedures, potential toxicity of gatekeepers, unsatisfactory control on drug stimuli-release, etc. In this work, we develop a simple but efficient approach to fabricate PEGylated organosilica-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (POMSNs) by employing a disulfide-doped organosilica coating as the gatekeeper formed by the hydrolysis and condensation of a silane coupling agent 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) to block the mesopores of MSNs. Owing to the glutathione (GSH)-responsive biodegradation behavior of the disulfide-doped organosilica gatekeeper, the DOX-loaded POMSNs exhibit only 20% cell viability towards SMMC-7721 tumor cells, and almost no toxicity towards L-02 cells at a DOX concentration of 50 μg mL−1 was measured, demonstrating their selective cytotoxicity in vitro. More importantly, it is demonstrated that the DOX-loaded POMSNs exhibit a tumor inhibition rate of 71.3% and negligible systematic toxicity. Consequently, the resultant POMSNs show great potential as drug nanocarriers for redox-responsive drug release and passive-targeting tumor chemotherapy.
Integrating toxic fungicide into a functional stimuli-responsive nanosystem can effectively improve the fungus control specificity and reduce the effect on non-target organisms. We report here a redox and cellulase dual-responsive multifunctional nanoparticle based on bimodal mesoporous silica (BMMs) to deliver prochloraz (Pro) for the smart management of wilt disease (Pro-AC-SS-BMMs, known as P-ASB). The surface of the nanocarrier was modified with an aminosilane coupling agent, and Pro was encapsulated by physical adsorption using 2,2′-dithiodiacetic acid as a smart bridge and disulfide (SS) cross-linked aminocellulose (AC) as gatekeepers. P-ASB nanoparticles (NPs) had a spherical structure, and the size was 531.2 ± 4.9 nm. The loading rate of Pro was 28.5%, and the NPs possessed excellent redox/cellulase dual-responsive release characteristics in the presence of glutathione (GSH) and cellulase. The nanocarrier could effectively protect Pro against photodegradation and had better foliar wettability than the Pro technical. Fluorescence tracer results showed that the nanocarriers were taken up and activated by the mycelium. P-ASB NPs had better control efficacy against Rhizoctonia solani and had no significant toxicity to cells and bacteria. This study provides a new strategy for enhancing the environmental protection and promoting the development of green agriculture.