Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Tunable Shape and Size

The structural and morphological properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles( MSNs) have dramatical influence on their in vivo biological behaviors,and thereby synthesis of MSNs with well-defined shape and size has recently attracted much more attention in the biomedical field. The synthesis of MSNs with controllable size and shape was presented by controlling the reaction temperature and the concentration of templating agent(cetyltrimethylammonium bromide,CTAB). The results indicated that MSNs were larger in particle size and more round in shape with increasing of the reaction temperature,but their particle size and dispersivity became smaller and poorer as CTAB concentration increased. Therefore,the particle size and shape of MSNs can be tuned by using the optimal synthesis conditions for specific biomedical applications.     

Preparation and Characterization of pH-Sensitive Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel for Cancer Therapy

Hydrogel has emerged as an excellent carrier platform for smart drug delivery and effective cancer treatment due to its high water content, good biocompatibility and sufficient mechanical properties. In this work,the DOX-loaded polyvinyl alcohol（ PVA）hydrogel was prepared by freeze-thawing technique. The swelling test and the mechanical properties of the pure PVA hydrogels were performed. In addition, the in vitro drug release profiles were examined and the in vitro antitumor efficiency against He La cells was also estimated. The results indicated that the resulting PVA hydrogels contained significant amounts of water and possessed good mechanical properties,and DOX-loaded PVA hydrogel exhibited a sustained and p H-responsive DOX release. The MTT assays also demonstrated that the released DOX could effectively inhibit the proliferation of He La cells. Thus,the cross-linked PVA hydrogel can be further developed as a promising platform for cancer therapy.     

Preparation,Characterization, and Antitumor Efficacy of,Camptothecine-Loaded Hydroxyapatite / Poly （lactic-co,glycolic acid ） Composite Nanofibers via Electrospinning

In the past decade, various medicated nanofibrous scaffolds have been developed as effective drug delivery systems for postsurglcal cancer treatment. In this study, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles （HANPs） were used as carriers to load an anticancer （CPT）, and the CPT-Ioaded HANPs （CPT @HANPs） was then incorporated into poly（ lactic-co.glycolic acid） （PLGA） nanofibers via electrospinning. Thus fabricated medicated nanofibrous mats （ PLGA /CPT @ HANPs） were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR-FTIR） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The release prof＇des of CPT from the medicated electrospun mats were obtained and their in vitro anticancer efficacy against HeLa cells was also evaluated. The results showed that the CPT was successfully loaded onto the surface of HANPs, and the prepared electrospun mats exhibited a homogeneous and continuous morphology. Furthermore, the loaded CPT exhibited a sustained release behavior from the nanoflbrous mats and the released CPT showed a long-term anticancer efficacy against HeLa cells. Therefore, the prepared medicated electrospun mats may be served as an effective drug delivery device for local antitumor treatment.