IN VITRO TOXICITY STUDIES OF THIOLATED, PEGYLATED, AND DOXORUBICIN CONJUGATED ORGANOSILICA NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

In recent years, nanoparticles have become a promising research topic in the field of biomedicine. This is due to their versatile properties, such as modifiable surface and size, capacity for drug loading. Organosilica nanoparticles are a type of nanoparticles often studied for their potential use in controlled and targeted cancer therapy. They are highly biocompatible and can be easily synthesized and modified. For example, PEGylation can be used to further boost their biocompatibility and prolong drug circulation time, and conjugation to therapeutic agents can be used to add a therapeutic effect. In this project, in vitro cytotoxic effects were studied for 4 types of thiolated organosilica nanoparticles synthesized from 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane that included: starting thiolated (Si NP-SH), surface PEGylated with 750 Da PEG) and 5000 Da PEG, as well as Doxorubicin conjugated organosilica nanoparticles. In this study, cytotoxic effects of these nanoparticles, as well as the induced mechanism of cell death were determined in RT112 cell line. MTT assay and Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay were used for these aims respectively. As a result of this study, it was determined that thiolated and PEGylated nanoparticles were not significantly cytotoxic, whereas doxorubicin conjugated formulation significantly decreased cell viability by inducing apoptosis. In future, the findings of this project may be valuable for studies focusing on conjugation of organosilica nanoparticles to targeting molecules or other therapeutic agents. Following this, in vivo toxicity studies could be performed. Ultimately, it may become a new conventional method of cancer therapy.