Synthesis of fluorescent dye-doped silica nanoparticles for target-cell-specific delivery and intracellular microRNA imaging

Analyst. 2015 Jan 21;140(2):567-73. doi: 10.1039/c4an01706d.

Abstract

MicroRNA (miRNA) is found to be up-regulated in many kinds of cancer and therefore is classified as an oncomiR. Herein, we design a multifunctional fluorescent nanoprobe (FSiNP-AS/MB) with the AS1411 aptamer and a molecular beacon (MB) co-immobilized on the surface of the fluorescent dye-doped silica nanoparticles (FSiNPs) for target-cell-specific delivery and intracellular miRNA imaging. The FSiNPs were prepared by a facile reverse microemulsion method from tetraethoxysilane and silane derivatized coumarin that was previously synthesized by click chemistry. The as-prepared FSiNPs possess uniform size distribution, good optical stability and biocompatibility. In addition, there is a remarkable affinity interaction between the AS1411 aptamer and the nucleolin protein on the cancer cell surface. Thus, a target-cell-specific delivery system by the FSiNP-AS/MB is proposed for effectively transferring a MB into the cancer cells to recognize the target miRNA. Using miRNA-21 in MCF-7 cells (a human breast cancer cell line) as a model, the proposed multifunctional nanosystems not only allow target-cell-specific delivery with the binding affinity of AS1411, but also can track simultaneously the transfected cells and detect intracellular miRNA in situ. The proposed multifunctional nanosystems are a promising platform for a highly sensitive luminescent nonviral vector in biomedical and clinical research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Coumarins / chemistry
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • MicroRNAs / analysis*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Nanoparticles*
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Nucleolin
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Silanes / chemistry

Substances

  • AGRO 100
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide
  • Coumarins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Phosphoproteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Silanes
  • tetraethoxysilane
  • coumarin