Fattigation-platform theranostic nanoparticles for cancer therapy

A new conceptual nanoparticle consisting of a silica-coated iron oxide magnetic core and a fattigation-based biocompatible
shell with oleic acid and hydrophilic protein (gelatin). The prepared particle can be a useful
theranostics platform material for diagnostic imaging and as a drug delivery system. Oleic acid and gelatin
were conjugated on the silica-coated magnetic nanoparticle surface to provide three primary functionalities:
1) enhancing biocompatibility and solubility in aqueous solution and providing the ability to incorporate hydrophobic
chemical drugs into the shell for delivery, 2) improving treatment-response magnetic monitoring as a diagnostic
agent with lownanotoxicity, and 3) increasing anticancer efficacy owing to the controlled release of the
incorporated drug in cells and in an animal model. We prepared magnetic-silica nanoparticles with superparamagnetic
properties,which are utilized as a T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging agent. After formation
of an oleic acid-gelatin shell, the prepared materials exhibited high loading capacity for a hydrophobic anticancer
drug (paclitaxel). Our particle platform system exhibited higher therapeutic efficacy and lower toxicological effects
in vitro and in an in vivo cancermodel than a clinically available chemo-drug (Taxol®). Our findings strongly
suggest that this nanoparticle system can serve as a platform for cancer therapy by the incorporation of chemical
drugs.