Effective Targeting of Hepatocellular Carcinoma through Glypican-3 Ligand Peptide Functionalization of Silica Nanoparticles

Torna indietro

Abstract

Among the various nanosized particles developed forinnovative biomedical applications, like selective molecularimaging and targeted drug delivery, silica nanoparticles (SiNPs)seem to be particularly attractive since of their low cost, lowtoxicity, ease of functionalization and acoustic properties. In fact,SiNPs have been demonstrated to effectively enhance ultrasoundcontrast at clinical diagnostic frequencies and, therefore, theymight be potentially employed in non-ionizing echographicmolecular imaging. Aim of this work was the development of asilica nanoparticle based system for in vitro molecular imaging ofhepatocellular carcinoma, using both ultrasound and laserscanningconfocal microscopy, by exploiting the particularfeature of these tumor cells to express on their surface high levelsof Glypican-3 protein (GPC-3). At this regard, we have designedand characterized novel GPC-3 ligand peptide-functionalizedfluorescent silica nanoparticles and tested them on GPC-3positive HepG2 cells, a human hepatocarcinoma cell line. Laserscanning confocal microscopy analysis showed that GPC-3-targeted fuorescent SiNP, in the concentration range used forexperimental ultrasound detection, did not exert significantcytotoxic effects and were effectively bound and taken up byHepG2 cells. These results suggest that silica nanoparticles mightbe a very promising contrast agents for non-ionizing ultrasoundmolecular imaging since of their high biocompatibility, targetingeffectiveness and ultrasound enhancement power.

Autore Pugliese

Tutti gli autori

  • M. Di Paola; F. Conversano; E.A. Sbenaglia; A. Quarta; G. Gigli; L. Dini; S. Casciaro.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Non Disponibile

Anno di pubblicazione

2015

ISSN

Non Disponibile

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Scopus

Non Disponibile

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile