Evaluation of mesoporous silica particles as drug carriers in hydrogels

Mesoporous silica particles have recently been used in the preparation of solid oral as well as dermal pharmaceutical formulations. In this work, the use of mesoporous silica of different particle size, pore size and pore volume as carrier for curcumin in hydrogels for dermal use was investigated. Oil absorption capacity of the silica, in vitro release of curcumin from formulations and chemical stability of curcumin during three months storage were evaluated. It was found that the silica particles did not alter in vitro release of curcumin compared to an emulsion. Furthermore, curcumin was found to exhibit similar or inferior stability in hydrogels containing mesoporous silica opposed to emulsions.     

难溶性药物与介孔二氧化硅纳米粒载体的相互作用对于释放速率的影响

目的 研究介孔二氧化硅纳米粒（MSN）载体与装载的难溶性药物间的相互作用,探索对释放速率具有重要影响的因素,归纳总结可预测难溶性药物-MSN给药系统释放行为的数学模型。方法 以溶胶凝胶法制备的MSN作为载体,通过溶剂挥干法进行药物装载,利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）分析载体的外观形貌及孔道结构,通过比表面积分析仪研究载体的比表面积及孔径分布。选取载药量及药物的氢键受体数量作为因素进行释放行为分析,通过Design Expert软件进行2因素3水平析因设计,完成体外释放实验;2、24 h累积释放度作为因变量,拟合数学模型。结果溶胶凝胶法制备的MSN为均一的球形,粒径约为400 nm,孔道呈放射状,孔径均一为3.6 nm。拟合模型显示,载药量比氢键受体数量对2 h累计释放度影响更大,随着载药量的增加,2 h累计释放度逐渐下降;在研究范围内,氢键受体数为6,载药量为50%具有最小的2 h累计释放度,为50.31%。24 h累计释放度则根据载药量的不同随着氢键受体数的改变呈现相反趋势,当载药量较低时,与氢键受体数呈正相关;当载药量较高时,与氢键受体数呈负相关。氢键受体数为6,载药量小于10%时具有最大的24 h累计释放度,可达99.44%。结论 相对药物的氢键受体数量,载药量对于难溶性药物-MSN给药系统的速缓释放具有重要调控作用,低载药量可以实现药物的2 h快速释放及24 h完全释放,高载药量则反之。     

Increasing the oral bioavailability of the poorly water soluble drug itraconazole with ordered mesoporous silica

This study aims to evaluate the in vivo performance of ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) as a carrier for poorly water soluble drugs. Itraconazole was selected as model compound. Physicochemical characterization was carried out by SEM, TEM, nitrogen adsorption, DSC, TGA and in vitro dissolution. After loading itraconazole into OMS, its oral bioavailability was compared with the crystalline drug and the marketed product Sporanox^® in rabbits and dogs. Plasma concentrations of itraconazole and OH–itraconazole were determined by HPLC-UV. After administration of crystalline itraconazole in dogs (20 mg), no systemic itraconazole could be detected. Using OMS as a carrier, the AUC_0–8 was boosted to 681 ± 566 nM h. In rabbits, the AUC_0–24 increased significantly from 521 ± 159 nM h after oral administration of crystalline itraconazole (8 mg) to 1069 ± 278 nM h when this dose was loaded into OMS. T_max decreased from 9.8 ± 1.8 to 4.2 ± 1.8 h. No significant differences (AUC, C_max, and T_max) could be determined when comparing OMS with Sporanox^® in both species. The oral bioavailability of itraconazole formulated with OMS as a carrier compares well with the marketed product Sporanox^®, in rabbits as well as in dogs. OMS can therefore be considered as a promising carrier to achieve enhanced oral bioavailability for drugs with extremely low water solubility.     

A comparison of mesoporous silica nanoparticles and mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles as drug vehicles for cancer therapy

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are promising drug carriers for use in cancer treatment owing to their excellent biocompatibility and drug‐loading capacity. However, MSN's incomplete drug release and toxic bioaccumulation phenomena limit their clinical application. Recently, researchers have presented redox responsive mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles containing disulfide (S–S) bridges (ss‐MONs). These nanoparticles retained their ability to undergo structural degradation and increased their local release activity when exposed to reducing agents. Disulfide‐based mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles offer researchers a better option for loading chemotherapeutic drugs due to their effective biodegradability through the reduction of glutathione. Although the potential of ss‐MONs in cancer theranostics has been studied, few researchers have systematically compared ss‐MONs with MSNs with regard to endocytosis, drug release, cytotoxicity, and therapeutic effect. In this work, ss‐MONs and MSNs with equal morphology and size were designed and used to payload doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) for liver cancer chemotherapy. The ss‐MONs showed considerable degradability in the presence of glutathione and performed comparably to MSNs on biocompatibility measures, including cytotoxicity and endocytosis, as well as in drug‐loading capacity. Notably, DOX‐loaded ss‐MONs exhibited higher intracellular drug release in cancer cells and better anticancer effects in comparison with DOX‐loaded MSNs. Hence, the ss‐MONs may be more desirable carriers for a highly efficient and safe treatment of cancer.     

Development of mesoporous silica nanomaterials as a vehicle for anticancer drug delivery

The development of delivery vehicles that would carry therapeutic agents selectively to cancer cells has become an important focus in biomedical research. Nanoparticles have received much attention because the advances made in this field have resulted in multiple biocompatible materials. In particular, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer a solid framework with porous structure and high surface area that allows for the attachment of different functional groups. In this article we discuss the different surface modifications made to MSNs that have allowed for the construction of targeted nanoparticles to enhance accumulation and uptake in target sites, the incorporation of nanomachines for controlled cargo release and the combination with superparamagnetic metals for MRI cell labeling. We also discuss biocompatibility, biodistribution and drug-delivery efficacy of MSNs. Finally, we mention the construction of multifunctional nanoparticles that combine all of the previously examined nanoparticle modifications.     

Silica-based mesoporous materials as drug delivery system for methotrexate release

Antineoplastic methotrexate has been loaded through different soaking procedures on silica-based mesoporous materials and, successively, released mimicking an oral administration. The materials were prepared using a self-assembly mechanism in the presence of cationic surfactants with alkyl chain of 16, 12, and 10 carbon atoms in the synthesis mixture to obtain different pore diameter in the porous structure. Mesoporous materials were prepared as pure silica sample and in the presence of Al(OH)₃ in the synthesis mixture. Only alumina-silica samples were able to load methotrexate. The amounts of drug loaded and the in vitro release kinetics are a function of the pore size of the materials.     

Evaluation of mesoporous TCPSi, MCM-41, SBA-15, and TUD-1 materials as API carriers for oral drug delivery

The feasibility of four mesoporous materials composed of biocompatible Si (TCPSi) or SiO₂ (MCM-41, SBA-15, and TUD-1) were evaluated for oral drug delivery applications. The main focus was to study the effect of the materials different pore systems (unidirectional/2D/3D) and their pore diameters, pore size distributions, pore volumes on the maximal drug load capacity, and release profiles of a loaded active pharmaceutical ingredient. Ibuprofen was used as the model drug. The total pore volume of the mesoporous solid was the main factor limiting the maximum drug load capacity, with SBA-15 reaching a very high drug load of 1:1 in weight due to its high pore volume. Dissolution experiments were performed in HBSS buffers of pH 5.5, 6.8, and 7.4 to mimic the conditions in the small intestine. At pH 5.5 the dissolution rate of ibuprofen released from the mesoporous carriers was significantly faster compared with the standard bulk ibuprofen (86-63% versus 25% released at 45 min), with the fastest release observed from the 3D pore network of TUD-1 carrier. The utilization of mesoporous carriers diminished the pH dependency of ibuprofen dissolution (pK_a = 4.42), providing an interesting prospect for the formulation of poorly soluble drug compounds.     

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as controlled release drug delivery and gene transfection carriers

In this review, we highlight the recent research developments of a series of surface-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials as efficient drug delivery carriers. The synthesis of this type of MSN materials is described along with the current methods for controlling the structural properties and chemical functionalization for biotechnological and biomedical applications. We summarized the advantages of using MSN for several drug delivery applications. The recent investigations of the biocompatibility of MSN in vitro are discussed. We also describe the exciting progress on using MSN to penetrate various cell membranes in animal and plant cells. The novel concept of gatekeeping is introduced and applied to the design of a variety of stimuli-responsive nanodevices. We envision that these MSN-based systems have a great potential for a variety of drug delivery applications, such as the site-specific delivery and intracellular controlled release of drugs, genes, and other therapeutic agents.     

Alginate encapsulated mesoporous silica nanospheres as a sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug indomethacin

We applied a combination of inorganic mesoporous silica material, frequently used as drug carriers, and a natural organic polymer alginate (ALG), to establish a sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug Indomethacin (IND). Mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) were synthesized using an organic template method and then functionalized with aminopropyl groups through postsynthesis. After drug loading into the pores of aninopropyl functionalized MSNs (AP-MSNs), IND loaded AP-MSNs (IND-AP-MSNs) were encapsulated by ALG through the ionic interaction. The effects of surface chemical groups and ALG layer on IND release were systematically studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption, zeta-potential analysis and TGA analysis. The surface structure and surface charge changes of the ALG encapsulated AP-MSNs (ALG-AP-MSNs) were also investigated. The results showed that sustained release of IND from the designed drug delivery system was mainly due to the blockage effect from the coated ALG. We believe that this combination will help designing oral sustained drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs.     

介孔二氧化硅和中空介孔二氧化硅载体用于提高难溶性药物溶出度的比较

目的研究介孔二氧化硅(mesoporous silica nanoparticles,MSN)和中空介孔二氧化硅(hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles,HMSN)两种载体对提高难溶性药物缬沙坦(valsartan,VAL)和尼莫地平(nimodipine,NMP)的载药量以及改善药物溶出度作用的比较。方法采用溶剂挥干法制备VAL-MSN、VAL-HMSN、NMP-MSN和NMP-HMSN四种固体分散体,以紫外分光光度法测定样品的载药量。采用X射线衍射法表征药物的存在状态。以溶出度为评价指标,对原料药、无定型药物以及载药体系的溶出速率进行了比较。结果 VAL-HMSN和NMP-HMSN的载药量分别为(34.76±1.36)%和(38.30±1.38)%,而VAL-MSN和NMP-MSN的载药量分别为(23.54±1.72)%和(22.93±1.08)%。X射线衍射实验表明药物在载体中以非晶体状态存在。溶出实验结果显示无定型药物的溶出度最低,HMSN和MSN载药体系的溶出度均比原料药有所提高。结论 HMSN和MSN相比,HMSN载药体系的载药量更高,但溶出度较MSN载药体系低。     

Functionalized mesoporous silica particles for application in drug delivery system

In these years, ordered mesoporous silica materials have shown promising applications in drug delivery system as drug carriers. These carriers with stable mesoporous structure, large surface area, good biocompatibility and tailored size of mesopores exhibit significant property of higher drug loading. However, silica-based mesoporous materials cannot control the release of the loaded drug without modifications. In this paper, we review the recent research work discussing functionalization of mesoporous materials by various components and methods for application in drug delivery systems. All the examples show that these functionalized mesoporous silica-based systems have great potential for a variety of drug delivery applications, specifically in the fields of the drug targeted and controlled delivery systems.     

Comparative study of the association of itraconazole with colloidal drug carriers

In the present study, the association of a new hydrophobic triazole derivative, itraconazole, with intravenously compatible drug carriers (liposomes, cholesterol complexes, nanospheres) was evaluated and the different association yields compared. We tried to elucidate the mechanism of drug-carrier association by means of dilution and zeta potential measurement in the most promising formulations. The different lipid-based drug carriers yielded low association efficiencies (< 0.6%), whereas itraconazole loading into chemically modified β-cyclodextrin nanospheres reached 6.8% (0.170 mg/mL). The longer the hydrophobic chain linked to the β-cyclodextrin, the higher the association of itraconazole within the nanospheres. The highest association yields, 4.1% (0.510 mg/mL), were obtained with nanospheres composed of the most hydrophobic polymer tested, poly-î-caprolactone, and a negatively charged steroidal surfactant, sodium deoxycholate. Itraconazole seems to be both included in the matrix (40%) and adsorbed at the surface of the nanospheres (60%). This may explain the nanosphere instability with time because of continuous itraconazole desorption from the nanospheres, although the nanosphere mean size remained unchanged. The enhanced association yields observed with sodium deoxycholate were not the result of electrostatic attraction between itraconazole (a weak base) and the negatively charged surfactant but rather to stronger hydrophobic interactions between itraconazole and sodium deoxycholate, and to increased specific area of sodium deoxycholate-coated nanospheres. This latter was due to the smaller mean diameter (80 nm) of the sodium deoxycholate-coated nanospheres compared with non ionic surfactant-coated nanospheres (130 nm). © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles as stimuli-responsive controlled release systems for intracellular drug/gene delivery

Importance of the field: The incorporation of stimuli-responsive properties into nanostructured systems has recently attracted significant attention in the research of intracellular drug/gene delivery. In particular, numerous surface-functionalized, end-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials have been designed as efficient stimuli-responsive controlled release systems with the advantageous ‘zero premature release’ property.

Areas covered in this review: Herein, the most recent research progress on the design of biocompatible, capped MSN materials for stimuli-responsive intracellular controlled release of therapeutics and genes is reviewed. A series of hard and soft caps for drug encapsulation and a variety of internal and external stimuli for controlled release of different cargoes are summarized. Recent investigations on the biocompatibility of MSN both in vitro and in vivo are also discussed.

What the reader will gain: The reader will gain an understanding of the challenges for the future exploration of biocompatible stimuli-responsive MSN devices.

Take home message: With a better understanding of the unique features of capped MSN and its behaviors in biological environment, these multifunctional materials will find a wide variety of applications in the field of drug/gene delivery.     

Comparison between polyvinylpyrrolidone and silica nanoparticles as carriers for indomethacin in a solid state dispersion

States of interaction between indomethacin (IM) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in an amorphous solid dispersion prepared by co-grinding were compared with those between IM and silica nanoparticles. Changes in the carbon chemical states of the solid dispersions were evaluated based on the chemical shift in the 13C-CP/MAS-NMR. Hydrogen bonds between the amide carbonyl of PVP particles and the carboxyl groups of IM molecules were formed by co-grinding. Despite the wide difference in carrier properties, the apparent equilibrium solubility (AES) of IM in the ground IM-PVP mixture was predicted by solid state NMR on the basis of the relationship previously established for IM with SiO(2). This indicates that AES is affected solely by the state of IM, irrespective of the carrier species, and despite carrier-dependent chemical interactions.     

Preparation and characterization of silica xerogels as carriers for drugs

The aim of the present study was to utilize the sol-gel method to synthesize different forms of xerogel matrices for drugs and to investigate how the synthesis conditions and solubility of drugs influence the change of the profile of drug release and the structure of the matrices. Silica xerogels doped with drugs were prepared by the sol-gel method from a hydrolyzed tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) solution containing two model compounds: diclofenac diethylamine, (DD)--a water-soluble drug or ibuprofen, (IB)--a water insoluble drug. Two procedures were used for the synthesis of sol-gel derived materials: one-step procedure (the sol-gel reaction was carried out under acidic or basic conditions) and the two-step procedure (first, hydrolysis of TEOS was carried out under acidic conditions, and then condensation of silanol groups was carried out under basic conditions) in order to obtain samples with altered microstructures. In vitro release studies of drugs revealed a similar release profile in two steps: an initial diffusion-controlled release followed by a slower release rate. In all the cases studied, the released amount of DD was higher and the released time was shorter compared with IB for the same type of matrices. The released amount of drugs from two-step prepared xerogels was always lower than that from one-step base-catalyzed xerogels. One-step acid-catalyzed xerogels proved unsuitable as the carriers for the examined drugs.     

Comparison of two pegylated copolymeric micelles and their potential as drug carriers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of forming micelles from two types of synthesized diblock pegylated amphiphilic copolymers and their potential as a drug carrier. Two lactone monomers, ε -caprolactone (CL) and δ -valerolactone (VL), were copolymerized with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MePEG), respectively. The properties of copolymers were investigated and their biocompatibility was tested through an in vitro cytotoxicity study. The influences of the type of lactone monomer (CL and VL) and the feed molar ratios of lactone/MePEG (50/1, 80/1, 160/1) on the performance and release behavior of drug-loaded micelles were investigated. The opening of CL and VL rings by MePEG was efficient, and the pegylation of poly(lactone)s allowed copolymers possessing amphiphilic property and efficiently self-assembled to form micelles with a low critical micelle concentration (CMC) in the range of 10 ^{- 7}-10^{- 8} M. The nano-sized micelles were able to incorporate hydrophobic drug and regulate drug release, and the release of drug was dominated by the hydrophobic poly(lactone) chain length. Although both amphiphilic copolymers exhibited similar controlled release character, the PCL/MePEG micelles possessed lower CMC, higher biocompatibility, and higher drug loading than PVL/MePEG micelles. These suggested that results choosing pegylated PCL as a drug carrier could be better than PVL/MePEG.     

介孔硅材料提高难溶性药物生物利用度的研究进展

介孔二氧化硅作为近年来比较热门的无机介孔载体材料,因其具有孔道排列规整、水热稳定性良好、生物相容性好,可以储存药物并保持药物的无定形态等特点,非常适合装载水难溶性药物。本文通过查阅国内外的相关文献,就难溶性药物口服生物利用度低的原因进行分析,并归纳总结了国内外关于介孔二氧化硅载体提高难溶性药物生物利用度方面的最新研究进展,为设计和制备具有特定结构和性能的介孔二氧化硅载体,提高难溶性药物的生物利用度及其临床应用提供参考。     

Polydopamine and peptide decorated doxorubicin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a targeted drug delivery system for bladder cancer therapy

We reported a simple polydopamine (PDA)-based surface modification method to prepare novel targeted doxorubicin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles and peptide CSNRDARRC conjugation (DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA-PEP) for enhancing the therapeutic effects on bladder cancer. Drug-loaded NPs were characterized in terms of size, size distribution, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and drug loading content. In vitro drug release indicated that DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA and MSNs@PDA-PEP had similar release kinetic profiles of DOX. The PDA coating well controlled DOX release and was highly sensitive to pH value. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that drug-loaded MSNs could be internalized by human bladder cancer cell line HT-1376, and DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA-PEP had the highest cellular uptake efficiency due to ligand–receptor recognition. The antitumor effects of DOX-loaded nanoparticles were evaluated by the MTT assay in vitro and by a xenograft tumor model in vivo, demonstrating that targeted nanocarriers DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA-PEP were significantly superior to free DOX and DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA. The novel DOX-loaded MSNs@PDA-PEP, which specifically recognized HT-1376 cells, can be used as a potential targeted drug delivery system for bladder cancer therapy.