Abstract

When silk fibroin particles are used for controlled drug delivery, particle size plays a key role in the location of the carrier on the cells as well as the transport pathway, utilization efficiency, and therapeutic effect of the drugs. In this study, the interactions of different-sized silk fibroin particles and cell lines were investigated. Silk fibroin microparticles with dry size of 1.9 ± 0.4 μm (2.7 ± 0.3 μm in wet state) and silk fibroin nanoparticles with dry size of 51.5 ± 11.0 nm (174.8 ± 12.5 nm in wet state) were prepared by salting-out method and high-voltage electrospray method, respectively. CdSe/ZnS quantum dots were coupled to the surface of the micro/nanoparticles. Photostability observations indicated that the fluorescence stability of the quantum dots was much higher than that of fluorescein isothiocyanate. In vitro, microparticles and nanoparticles were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells EA.hy 926 and cervical cancer cells HeLa, respectively. The fluorescence test and cell viability showed that the EA.hy926 cells tended to be adhered to the microparticle surfaces and the cell proliferation was significantly promoted, while the nanoparticles were more likely to be internalized in HeLa cells and the cell proliferation was notably inhibited. Our findings might provide useful information concerning effective drug delivery that microparticles may be preferred if the drugs need to be delivered to normal cell surface, while nanoparticles may be preferred if the drugs need to be transmitted in tumor cells.

Highlights

  • A drug delivery system consists of a drug carrier in which the active drug is dissolved, dispersed, or encapsulated, or onto which the active ingredient is adsorbed or attached [1]

  • silk fibroin microparticles (SFMPs) and silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNPs) were prepared by phase separation and electrospray, respectively

  • The results indicated that the groups of the increased in Quantum dots (QDs)-SFMPs and QD-SFNPs

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Summary

Introduction

A drug delivery system consists of a drug carrier in which the active drug is dissolved, dispersed, or encapsulated, or onto which the active ingredient is adsorbed or attached [1]. Diverse drug carriers, including nanoparticles, microspheres, microcapsules, pills and emulsions have been developed to meet the different environments and requirements of the drugs, such as the route of administration, the site of action, the rate of release, and the mode of action [2,3]. Micro/nanoparticles are clever drug carriers due to their unique characteristics, such as small size and large surface area, in addition to their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, enter the pulmonary system, and be absorbed through the tight junctions of endothelial cells of the skin [4,5]. When micro/nanoparticles are used as drug carriers, the challenge is to deliver the drugs to a specific release site, which is closely related to the interactions between particles and cells. Micro/nanoparticles attached to the Materials 2020, 13, 3372; doi:10.3390/ma13153372 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials

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