Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer many advantageous properties for applications in the field of nanobiotechnology. Loading of small molecules into MSNs is straightforward and widely applied, but with the upswing of both research and commercial interest in biological drugs in recent years, also biomacromolecules have been loaded into MSNs for delivery purposes. MSNs possess many critical properties making them a promising and versatile carrier for biomacromolecular delivery. In this chapter, we review the effects of the various structural parameters of MSNs on the effective loading of biomacromolecular therapeutics, with focus on maintaining stability and drug delivery performance. We also emphasize recent studies involving the use of MSNs in the delivery of biomacromolecular drugs, especially for cancer treatment.
Keywords: Biological drugs; Biologics; Biomolecules; Cancer immunotherapy; Co-delivery; Controlled drug release; Gene delivery; Inorganic drug carriers; Macromolecular drug delivery; Mesoporous silica nanoparticles; Peptide delivery; Photodynamic therapy; Protein delivery; Protein drugs; Stimuli-responsive drug release.