In this work, we synthesized a novel pH-triggered drug delivery system to enhance the bioavailability of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) through the gatekeeper poly-L-lysine (PLL) on the pore entrances of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). Firstly, mesoporous silica was selected
as the inorganic support for drug loading. Secondly, PLL was employed as the gatekeeper to control the cargo transport. In a neutral environment, the PLL brushes became shrunken and formed a dense barrier on the pore entrances of PLL/MSNs, which closed the pores and thus prevented the release
of cargo. In an acidic environment, the cargo was released from the carrier PLL/MSNs because the pore entrances were opened by the swollen PLL brushes. The DOX-loaded PLL/MSNs (PLL/MSNs-DOX) showed 1.5 times higher drug release under acidic condition (pH = 4) than under neutral condition (pH
= 7). During the drug release experiment for 48 h under acidic condition, PLL/MSN-DOX released about 50% of the drug after 9 h and approximately 85% after 24 h, whereas pristine MSNs loaded with DOX (MSNs-DOX) released about 50% of the drug after 30 min and reached equilibrium after 24 h.
The MSNs also demonstrated their effectiveness in storing anticancer drugs until the desired environmental trigger is present. Therefore, the pH-responsive MSNs have great potential as a targeting cancer therapy.
The cover image, by Keuk‐Min Jeong et al., is based on the Research Article Effects of crosslinking agents on the physical properties of polyimide/amino‐functionalized graphene oxide hybrid films, DOI: .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.