Mesoporous Silicon and Silica Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery Applications

18 September 2023 08:35 - 09:05

  • The oxide chemistry of mesoporous silicon nanoparticles allows dynamic restructuring of the mesopores to sequester protein therapeutics
  • The chemistry provides a means to protect biologics against proteolytic, nucleolytic, or hydrolytic degradation
  • Peptide targeting groups provide a means to home nanoparticles to selected tissues while minimizing immune system responses.
  • Multiple copies of a peptide targeting group on a single nanoparticle enhances binding via multivalent interactions
Porous silicon nanoparticles possess an oxide chemistry that is well suited for loading and delivery of biologics (antibodies, enzymes, and nucleic acids). The material can be tuned for either slow release or for triggered release, depending on the specific chemistries and coatings used. Attachment of peptide targeting groups provides a means to direct delivery of therapeutic payloads to selected tissues.  One area with an unmet therapeutic need is in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, and the deployment of porous silicon nanoparticles to meet this challenge will be described. The intrinsic photoluminescence that derives from quantum confinement in the silicon skeleton provides a built-in luminescent probe that can be used for in vivo and in vitro tracking and self-reporting drug delivery in these systems.

Prof. Michael Sailor, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego

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