Fucoidan-coated core–shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles for chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia-based thermal therapy applications

Abstract

Core–shell based, bioactive marine biopolymer-coated drug carriers for high drug loading and efficient drug release response to a specific trigger have received much research interest in cancer therapy. In this study, we present a fucoidan-coated core–shell magnetic mesoporous silica drug carrier (FeNP@SiOH@Fuc NPs) system which consists of a magnetic iron oxide (FeNP) core, a mesoporous silica shell (SiOH), and a marine biopolymer, namely fucoidan (Fuc), coated onto the outer surface as a “gatekeeper” for pH-responsive drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia applications. Fucoidan coating onto the outer surface of the silica nanoparticles was performed through metal–ligand complex coordination approaches. The drug loaded FeNP@SiOH@Fuc/Dox NPs show good drug retention efficiency under physiological pH conditions and show a pH-responsive drug release behavior under an acidic pH environment and hyperthermia temperature (45 °C) conditions in the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Furthermore, the MTT assay and the intracellular uptake study results indicate that the synthesized FeNP@SiOH@Fuc NPs have biocompatibility and could be efficiently internalized by MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, owing to the presence of a magnetic iron oxide core, the FeNP@SiOH@Fuc NPs show an excellent magnetic hyperthermia heating efficiency in the presence of an AMF and reach the hyperthermia temperature (45 °C) within a very short time (approximately ∼4–5 min). Since the FeNP@SiOH@Fuc NP system exhibits pH-stimuli responsive drug release performance, good biocompatibility, and efficient magnetic hyperthermia heating efficiency, the proposed system is expected to be a promising candidate as a drug carrier as well as a hyperthermia agent for chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia-based thermal therapy applications in emerging cancer therapy.