Anti-GPC1-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles as nanocarriers for combination therapy and targeting of PANC-1 cells

We present a novel therapeutic nanoplatform based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles encapsulating ferulic acid/gemcitabine and functionalized with anti-GPC1 antibodies to target human pancreatic cancer (PANC-1) cells. This dynamic nanoplatform has been designed for enhanced cellular selectivity and improved antitumor therapy. The well-ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles were confirmed through structural and morphological analyses, which revealed nanoparticles with sizes in the range from 100 to 120 nm. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed an ordered hexagonal lattice with typical mesopores of the MCM41 material. The functionalization of silica nanoparticles with anti-GPC1 antibodies allowed the improved targeting and simultaneous delivery of gemcitabine and ferulic acid to PANC-1 cells. Our results showed that the combination therapy was more efficient than the use of isolated conventional drugs, increasing the effectiveness of MSNs on carcinogenic cells and opening the door for future in vivo studies.