A novel methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) modified nano-graphene oxide(NGO-mPEG) was designed and synthesized as a photosensitizer(PS) carrier for photodynamic therapy of cancer.NGO with a size below 200 nm was prepared using a modified Hummers' method.NGO was observed by AFM to exhibit a structure with single-layer graphene oxide sheets down to a few nanometers in height.Hydrophilic mPEG conjugation of NGO(NGO-mPEG) was found to enhance solubility in cell culture media.No apparent cytotoxicity of the NGO-mPEG was observed towards MCF-7 carcinoma cell line.Zinc phthalocyanine(ZnPc),a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy,was loaded in the NGO-PEG through π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions,with the drug loading efficiency up to 14 wt%.Hydrophobic ZnPc was internalized in MCF-7 cells,exhibiting a pronounced phototoxicity in the cells under Xe light irradiation.The results indicate a great potential of NGO-mPEG for photodynamic therapy of cancer.
Polymeric nanoparticles with unique properties are regarded as the most promising materials for biomedical applications including drug delivery and in vitro/in vivo imaging.Among them,stimulus-responsive polymeric nanoparticles,usually termed as "intelligent" nanoparticles,could undergo structure,shape,and property changes after being exposed to external signals including pH,temperature,magnetic field,and light,which could be used to modulate the macroscopical behavior of the nanoparticles.This paper reviews the recent progress in stimulus-responsive nanoparticles used for drug delivery and in vitro/in vivo imaging,with an emphasis on double/multiple stimulus-responsive systems and their biomedical applications.
LI YongYong1,2,DONG HaiQing1,2,WANG Kang1,SHI DongLu 2,ZHANG XianZheng1 & ZHUO RenXi1 1Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers,Ministry of Education
