The development of targeted nanocarriers able to be selectively internalized within tumor cells, and therefore to deliver anti-tumor drugs specifically to diseased cells, constitutes one of the most important goals in nano-oncology. Herein, the development of Janus mesoporous silica particles asymmetrically decorated with two targeting moieties, one of them selective for folate membrane cell receptors (folic acid) and the other one able to bind to mitochondria membrane (triphenylphosphine, TPP), is described in order to achieve sequential cell to organelle vectorization. The asymmetric decoration of each side of the particle allows fine control in the targeting attachment process in comparison with the use of symmetric nanocarriers. The presence of folic acid induces a higher increase in particle accumulation inside tumor cells, and once there, these nanocarriers are guided close to mitochondria by the action of the TPP moiety. This strategy can be applied for improving the therapeutic efficacy of current nanomedicines.
Keywords: Janus nanoparticles; mesoporous silica nanoparticles; mitochondria targeting; nano-oncology; targeted nanosystems.