Doxorubicin-loaded silicon nanoparticles impregnated into red blood cells featuring bright fluorescence, strong photostability, and lengthened blood residency

Based on the unique advantages of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), long circulation red blood cells (RBCs), and anti-cancer drug molecules (i.e., doxorubicin (DOX)), we developed multifunctional DOX-loaded SiNPs impregnated into RBCs. Importantly, the resulting drug delivery systems (DDSs) simultaneously exhibited bright fluorescence coupled with robust photostability (i.e., similar to 24% loss of fluorescent intensity after 25 min continuous laser irradiation) and significantly lengthened blood residency (i.e., t(1/2) = 7.31 +/- 0.96 h, 3.9-fold longer than pure DOX-loaded SiNPs). Therefore, this novel DDS featuring multi-functionalities shows high potential for cancer diagnosis and therapy, particularly for tumor imaging and chemotherapy in a synchronous manner.