Targeting cancer with ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles


Targeting cancer with ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles

Licciardello, N.; Zarschler, K.; Singh, G.; Bergmann, R.; Faramus, A.; Ddungu, J. L. Z.; de Cola, L.; Stephan, H.

Renal clearable ultrasmall nanoparticles (sub-10 nm size) have attracted increasing attention for medicinal applications [1, 2]. In this direction, ultrasmall silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) are gaining in importance, especially in the imaging of cancer cells [3]. Si-NPs display tuneable photoluminescence, high resistance against photo-bleaching, chemical stability after functionalization and biocompatibility. Covalent modification of the surface with red-emitting dyes for optical imaging, bifunctional chelator agents for radiometals enabling SPECT or PET, and simultaneously targeting vector molecules opens the avenue for the development of new targeted dual imaging agents. In vivo imaging with fast clearing agents possessing numerous surface groups is very attractive. However, defined surface functionalization, especially with suitable targeting molecules, is fairly challenging. Here we report on the surface functionalization of amine-terminated Si-NPs (< 5 nm) with a defined quantity of red-emitting dyes and vector molecules, in order to design targeting optical imaging agents. The modification of these Si-NPs with appropriate chelators for radiometals, such as 64Cu, allows for performing positron emission tomography.

Work financially supported by Helmholtz Virtual Institute “NanoTracking”, Agreement No. VH-VI-421

References
[1] B. H. Kim, M. J. Hackett, J. Park, T. Hyeon, Chemistry of Materials 2014, 26, 59-71.
[2] K. Zarschler, L. Rocks, N. Licciardello, L. Boselli, E. Polo, K. P. Garcia, L. De Cola, H. Stephan, K. A. Dawson, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 2016, 12, 1663-1701.
[3] C. Tu, X. Ma, A. House, S. M. Kauzlarich, A. Y. Louie, ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2011, 2, 285-288.

  • Lecture (Conference)
    8th International Conference on Nanomaterials - Research & Application (Nanocon 2016), 19.-21.10.2016, Brno, Czech Republic

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Publ.-Id: 24209