N-Doped graphene quantum dot@mesoporous silica nanoparticles modified with hyaluronic acid for fluorescent imaging of tumor cells and drug delivery.

The authors describe new bifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) for specific targeting of tumor cells and for intracellular delivery of the cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) were coated with blue fluorescent N-graphene quantum dots, loaded with the drug DOX, and finally coated with hyaluronic acid (HA). Cellular uptake of the NPs with an architecture of the type HA-DOX-GQD@MSNPs enabled imaging of human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells via fluorescence microscopy. The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles on HeLa cells was also assessed. The results suggest that the NPs are higher cytotoxicity effect and exert in living cell imaging ability. Compared to the majority of other drug nanocarrier systems, the one described here enables simultaneous DOX release and fluorescent monitoring. Graphical abstract Schematic of the bifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles were obtained via the Stöber method, along with the doxorubicin loaded and the hyaluronic acid capped. The sensor shows good specificity and significant cytotoxicity effect on Hela cells. (TEOS: tetraethyl orthosilicate; GQDs: graphene quantum dots; DOX: doxorubicin; HA: Hyaluronic acid).