Stimuli-responsive Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Applications in Cancer Theranostics

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) exhibit highly beneficial features for devising nanosystems applicable in cancer therapy, imaging, or diagnostics. The high surface area of MSN, which can be easily post-synthetically functionalized with different organosilanes, in addition to their structured porosity available for loading cargo molecules, allows a plethora of opportunities for devising multifunctional and multipurpose nanostructures. In this context, our research focuses on devising MSN-based cancer theranostics, containing different modalities for targeting specific cancer microenvironment, and the capabilities for delivering cargo therapeutic molecules upon exposure to the specific conditions of this environment, such as tissue acidosis or elevated concentration of glutathione and other cancer-related biomolecules. Thus, specific surface modification and controlling the release process of therapeutic molecules enables utilization of MSNs as unique facilitators toward enhancing the efficacy and precision of cancer treatment, imaging and sensing.