SiO2 Functionalized Fe3O4 Nano Drug Delivery Vehicle for Active Targeting of Cancer Tumors

Abstract

Chemotherapy by magnetic nano particles is a new and minimally invasive cancer treatment. For magnetic targeting, a drug or therapeutic radionuclide is bound to a magnetic compound, introduced in the body, and then concentrated in the target area by means of a magnetic field (using an internally implanted permanent magnet or an externally applied field). Depending on the application, the particles then release. Core-shell nanostructures have emerged as an important class of functional materials with potential applications in diverse fields, especially in health sciences. Magnetic nanostructures have potential applications in many biological and medical fields such as drug delivery, hyperthermia treatment, magnetic resonance contrast enhancement and cell separation. In the present work, we report here synthesis and properties of a unique drug delivery system, which could be used for diagnostic and therapy purposes. Magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized by traditional co-precipitation route. These single domain magnetic nanoparticles were loaded into the surface modifiable shell of silica and then grafted by folic acid. Drug methylene blue was co-loaded into the FA@silica shell by demethylation reaction. Hydrolysis and condensation kinetics have been established to control the shell size and then released at in-vitro environment. Fabricated drug delivery system was characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, DLS, UV-visible spectroscopy and VSM measurements. X-ray study confirms the formation of single phase magnetite nanoparticles with average size of 8.4 nm. Formation of silica shell was confirmed from the FTIR spectroscopy. This is in good agreement with the X-ray analysis. .The loading of methylene blue was also confirmed from UV- visible spectra.