Organosilica Nanoparticles for Gemcitabine Monophosphate Delivery in Cancer Cells

Abstract

Organosilica nanoparticles hold great promise for nanomedicine applications. These nanoparticles are synthesized from polytrialkoxysilylated precursors without any silica source. In this work we present two kinds of organosilica nanoparticles with either amine or ammonium walls constituting their structure. Both types of nanoparticles are very efficient for gemcitabine monophosphate delivery, a small hydrophilic anticancer drug whose encapsulation is still a challenge. The nanoparticles are endocytosed by MCF-7 breast cancer cells as monitored by confocal microscopy. They are efficient and lead to 60% cancer cell death.