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Nanobiotechnology 2018
Page 69
Nano Research & Applications
ISSN: 2471-9838
E u r o S c i C o n C o n f e r e n c e o n
Nanotech & Nanobiotechnology
J u l y 1 2 - 1 3 , 2 0 1 8
P a r i s , F r a n c e
C
onventional cancer chemotherapies have been associated with serious systemic toxicities and dose-limiting side effects that
limit their clinical application. Targeted therapeutics on the other hand, by being more selective, can potentially minimize the
side effects of these anticancer agents. In efforts to develop targeted anticancer drugs, it is essential to consider many different
aspects of molecular biology, such as the interactions with cell surface receptors. Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) have been
identifed as major contributors in numerous signal transduction pathways within cell membranes and are implicated in cell
proliferation. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase is one of the most important PTKs and plays a key role in a wide
diversity of biological processes, including cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. The novel thiourea-functionalized
silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been successfully synthesized using allylamine and sulforaphane, an important anticancer
drug, followed by a hydrosilylation reaction on the surface of hydrogen terminated SiNPs. Their physiochemical properties have
been investigated by photoluminescence emission, FTIR and elemental analysis. MTT assay has been employed to evaluate
in
vitro
toxicity in colorectal cancer cells (Caco-2) and primary normal cells (CCD). The results show signifcant toxicity of thiourea
SiNPs after 72 h incubation in the cancer cell line and the toxicity is concentration dependent and saturated for concentrations
above 100µg/mL. Confocal microscopy images have demonstrated the internalization of thiourea-functionalized SiNPs inside
the cells. Flow cytometry data has confrmed receptor-mediated targeting in cancer cells. This nanocomposite takes advantage
of the EGFR active targeting of the ligand in addition to the photoluminescence properties of SiNPs for bioimaging purposes. The
results suggest that this novel nanosystem can be extrapolated for active targeting of the receptors that are overexpressed in
cancer cells such as EGFR using the targeting characteristics of thiourea-functionalized SiNPs and therefore encourage further
investigation and development of anticancer agents specifcally exploiting the EGFR inhibitory activity of such nanoparticles.
y.chao@uea.ac.ukNovel diagnostic silicon nanoparticles for
targeted delivery of thiourea to EGFR-expressing
cancer cells
Y Chao1, M Behray
1
, C A Webster
1
, S Pereira
1
, P Ghosh
2
, S
Krishnamurthy
2
and W T Al-Jamal
1
1
University of East Anglia, UK
2
Open University, UK
Nano Res Appl 2018, Volume 4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-9838-C2-012