Calcium phosphate is the most important inorganic constituent of biological tissues, and synthetic calcium phosphate has been widely used as biomaterials. In this study, a facile method has been developed for the fabrication of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP)/polylactide-block-monomethoxy(polyethyleneglycol) hybrid nanoparticles and ACP porous nanospheres. Europium-doping is performed to enable photoluminescence (PL) function of ACP porous nanospheres. A high specific surface area of the europium-doped ACP (Eu3+:ACP) porous nanospheres is achieved (126.7 m2/g). PL properties of Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are investigated, and the most intense peak at 612 nm is observed at 5 mol% Eu3+ doping. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments indicate that the as-prepared Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are biocompatible. In vitro drug release experiments indicate that the ibuprofen-loaded Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres show a slow and sustained drug release in simulated body fluid. We have found that the cumulative amount of released drug has a linear relationship with the natural logarithm of release time (ln(t)). The Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are bioactive, and can transform to hydroxyapatite during drug release. The PL properties of drug-loaded nanocarriers before and after drug release are also investigated.
Highly stable amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) porous nanospheres with a relatively uniform size and an average pore diameter of about 10 nm have been synthesized by using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method with adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium salt (ATP) as the phosphorus source and stabilizer. The as-prepared ACP porous nanospheres have a high stability in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution for more than 150 h without phase transformation to hydroxyapatite, and the morphology and size were essentially not changed. The important role of ATP and effects of experimental conditions on the formation of ACP porous nanospheres were also investigated. The ACP porous nanospheres were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This method is facile, rapid, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly. The as-prepared ACP porous nanospheres are efficient for anticancer drug (docetaxel) loading and release. The ACP porous nanosphere drug-delivery system with docetaxel shows a high ability to damage tumor cells, thus, is promising for the application in anticancer treatment.
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.