Multifunctional Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles as effective carrier of gambogic acid for inhibiting VX2 tumor cells

This paper reports a dual-functional platform that can be used for synergistic therapy, including drug release and magnetic targeting. The platformis realized through an amide reaction between high-fluorescence carbon quantumdots (CD) prepared bymicrowave method and amino-functional Fe3O4@SiO2 with high saturation magnetic strength and a core-shell structure to obtain multifunctional magnetic fluorescent nanocomposite particles Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs. The structure, drug release behavior, cytotoxicity, fluorescence and distribution in vivo of Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs nanoparticleswere studied. The results showthat the Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs with a dynamic diameter of about 155.0 nm and a magnetic saturation intensity of 31.2 emu/g has a higher loading of gambogic acid (GA), and is more conducive to drug release in an environment of pH= 5.7. In addition, Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs has low cytotoxicity and can enter VX2 cells. However, GA-loaded Fe3O4@SiO2-CDs has an inhibitory effect on VX2 cells, and the cell survival rate is less than 20% at a concentration of 100 mu g/mL. Magnetic targeting experiments show that bifunctional magnetic nanoparticles have an outstanding magnetic targeting effect on tumors. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.