Hyaluronic acid-conjugated mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with dual anticancer agents for chemophotodynamic cancer therapy

Abstract

Present cancer treatments using chemotherapy are limited owing to both significant side effects to normal cells and high recurrence rates. In this study, we demonstrated cancer cell-targeting nanoparticles that load multiple anticancer agents for both specific treatments to cancer and substantial therapeutic effects. For this purpose, hyaluronic acid (HA) was conjugated to mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for specifically targeting cancer cells. Moreover, the prepared HA-MSNs exhibited high drug loading potential and sustained drug release. Compared to bare MSNs, the HA-MSNs were internalized at an approximately three times higher rate in squamous cell carcinoma 7 (SCC7) cells. To enhance the anticancer effects of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT), doxorubicin (DOX) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) were loaded in HA-MSNs (DOX/Ce6/HA-MSNs); the product exhibited highly effective cytotoxicity on green fluorescent protein-expressing squamous cell carcinoma 7 (SCC7) compared to the corresponding free drugs and HA-MSNs with DOX or Ce6 alone. This study indicates that the application of DOX/Ce6/HA-MSNs in chemotherapy and PDT exerts significant therapeutic effects against SCC7.