Synthesis of temperature/pH dual-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles by surface modification and radical polymerization for anti-cancer drug delivery

In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized from rice husk (RMSN-D) as a natural, available, economical, and non-toxic source for cancer treatment. Also, to increase the drug delivery efficiency, after modifying the surface of nanoparticles by vinyl groups (RMSN-DV), acrylic acid and n-isopropyl acrylamide were polymerized on the RMSN-DV surface by a well-tuned monomer ratio to create a biocompatible smart dual responsive drug delivery system (RMSN-DAN). The structure and physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDS, BET, HNMR, and EDS techniques. The results indicated that monomers were successfully grafted onto the RMSN-D. Doxorubicin (Dox) was exploited as a model drug, and in-vitro Dox release was investigated. The result exhibited an excellent temperature and pHresponsive controlled release behavior. The biocompatibility and safety of natural silica source and RMSNDAN were demonstrated Via MTT assay. Dox-loaded RMSN-DAN demonstrated cytotoxic activity similar to free Dox to MCF-7 cell line. Moreover, apoptosis of the MCF-7 cell line was investigated by flow cytometric analysis and morphological study. Therefore, this dual-responsive biocompatible and economic RMSN-DAN nanocarrier could be applied in targeting and stimuli-responsive drug delivery due to negligible drug leakage during blood circulation whilst having a rapid release upon reaching tumor tissues.

Automated summary

In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized from rice husk as a source for cancer treatment, with a smart dual responsive drug delivery system created for increased efficiency. The nanoparticles showed successful grafting of monomers and exhibited excellent controlled release behavior. The biocompatibility and safety of the system were demonstrated, making it a promising nanocarrier for targeted and stimuli-responsive drug delivery.