Multifunctional zinc-based hollow nanoplatforms as a smart pH-responsive drug delivery system to enhance in vivo tumor-inhibition efficacy

Publication date: 5 February 2018
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 139
Author(s): Jinghai Yang, Fei Gao, Donglai Han, Lili Yang, Xiangwang Kong, Maobin Wei, Jian Cao, Huilian Liu, Zhitao Wu, Guoyu Pan
Novel multifunctional ZnO@ (Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) nanocomposites as a pH-responsive drug delivery system were designed and successfully synthesized by a self-assembling method. The as-prepared ZnO@(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) possess porous hollow structure with strong orange fluorescence and faster magnetic response, which is beneficial for the functions of drug loading, fluorescence labeling and magnetic targeting simultaneously. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments testify that the ZnO@(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) nanocomposites own a good biocompatibility without obvious side effects on both cells and mice. After 24days of treatment on the mice, ZnO@(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) nanocomposites greatly inhibited the tumor growth without causing both body weight change and any obvious pathological changes in major organs. The better antitumor efficacy than free DOX can be ascribed to both the accumulation of DOX-ZnO@(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) inside tumor and a sustained DOX release due to the dissociation of ZnO@(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn²⁺) in acidic environment.

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