Surface-Fabrication of Fluorescent Hydroxyapatite for Cancer Cell Imaging and Bio-Printing Applications

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) materials are widely applied as biomedical materials due to their stable performance, low cost, good biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, a green, fast and efficient strategy was designed to construct a fluorescent nanosystem for cell imaging and drug delivery based on polyethyleneimine (PEI) and functionalized HAP via simple physical adsorption. First, HAP nanorods were functionalized with riboflavin sodium phosphate (HE) to provide them with fluorescence properties based on ligand-exchange process. Next, PEI was attached on the surface of HE-functionalized HAP (HAP-HE@PEI) via electrostatic attraction. The fluorescent HAP-HE@PEI nanosystem could be rapidly taken up by NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells and successfully applied to for cell imaging. Additionally, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) containing HAP-HE@PEI with high loading capacity was prepared, and in-vitro release results show that the maximum release of DOX at pH 5.4 (31.83%) was significantly higher than that at pH 7.2 (9.90%), which can be used as a drug delivery tool for cancer therapy. Finally, HAP-HE@PEI as the 3D inkjet printing ink were printed with GelMA hydrogel, showing a great biocompatible property for 3D cell culture of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Altogether, because of the enhanced affinity with the cell membrane of HAP-HE@PEI, this green, fast and efficient strategy may provide a prospective candidate for bio-imaging, drug delivery and bio-printing.

Hydroxyapatite Biobased Materials for Treatment and Diagnosis of Cancer

“…In this case, nanorods of HAp were functionalized with riboflavin sodium phosphate (HE) for the fluorescent properties, and subsequently, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was attached by electrostatic attraction. NIH-3T3 fibroblasts were treated with the nanocomposites and a fast uptake was reported, allowing correct cell imaging manifested with green fluorescence [ 157 ].…”

Altering Microbiomes with Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles: A Metagenomic Analysis

“…Hydroxyapatite (HAp, Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH) is the most abundant inorganic material in the mammalian bodies, where it forms hard tissues, including bone, enamel, dentin and cementum, but also other organs, including tusks in animals such as elephants or narwhals, horns in deer, moose, elks and caribous, and the shell-like osteoderm of armadillos [ 16 ]. Despite being one of the oldest biomaterials in research and clinical application, HAp continues to attract the attention of researchers to this day, and new studies on it do not abate [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Recently, our group demonstrated that HAp displays finite antibacterial properties, which appear to become intensified when the bacterial species are converted from regular lab strains to clinical, multidrug-resistant ones [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Microfluidic Based Organ-on-Chips and Biomedical Application

“…Hydroxyapatite (HAP) materials are widely used in biomedical materials because of their excellent properties, stable performance, low cost, good biocompatibility, and biodegradability. An efficient fluorescent nanosystem for cell imaging and drug therapy has been developed based on polyethyleneimine (PEI) and functionalized HAP delivered via simple physical adsorption [ 5 ]. The HAP nanorods were first functionalized using sodium riboflavin phosphate (HE) to give fluorescent properties based on a ligand exchange process.…”

“…Next, PEI was attached to the surface through electrostatic attraction to functionalized HAP. The nanosystem can be rapidly taken up by NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and successfully applied for cell culture imaging [ 5 ]. In addition, the in vitro release results of Adriamycin hydrochloride (DOX) containing HAP-HE@PEI at high loading showed that DOX released the maximum amount of the drug at pH 5.4 (31.83%), significantly higher than that at pH 7.2 (9.90%), meaning that it can be used as a drug delivery tool.…”

“…In addition, the in vitro release results of Adriamycin hydrochloride (DOX) containing HAP-HE@PEI at high loading showed that DOX released the maximum amount of the drug at pH 5.4 (31.83%), significantly higher than that at pH 7.2 (9.90%), meaning that it can be used as a drug delivery tool. Finally, printing with GelMA using HAP-HE@PEI as 3D inkjet printing ink showed good biocompatibility in the 3D cell culture of RAW 264.7 macrophages [ 5 ]. The strategy is based on physical encapsulation (charge attraction), which is simple, fast, efficient, and can occur under reasonably mild conditions.…”