Nanosizing Noncrystalline and Porous Silica Material—Naturally Occurring Opal Shale for Systemic Tumor Targeting Drug Delivery

Abstract

Opal shale, as a naturally occurring and noncrystalline silica material with porous structure, has the potential to be a drug delivery carrier. In this study, we obtained opal shale nanoparticles (OS NPs) through the techniques of ultrasonic emulsion and differential centrifugation. The OS NPs exhibited markedly lower cytotoxicity than crystalline mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The highly porous structure and the strong adsorbability endowed OS NPs with the ability of loading and sustained release of doxorubicin (DOX). DOX-loaded OS NPs improved tumor cellular uptake and antiproliferation compared with free drug. Interestingly, OS NPs possessed strong binding with the nuclear envelope, which can be beneficial to the nucleus localization and apoptosis inducing of loaded DOX. We further demonstrated the tumor passive targeting ability, prolonged blood circulation, and enhanced antitumor effect with limited in vivo toxicity. Our results suggest that OS NPs can be applied for tumor targeting drug delivery, which may have a significant influence on the development of silica-based drug delivery system.