Development of liposome capped mesoporous silica nanoparticle for anticancer drug delivery

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been used as an anticancer drug delivery system with high safety and entrapment capacity thanks to their large internal space for drug accommodation, durable structure, and good biocompatibility. However, the treatment efficiency of the bare MSNs is limited due to its drug leakage and burst release. In this study, a phospholipid bilayer was covered on the MSNs surface (MSN@Lip) as a liposomal cap that not only reduced drug leakage but also improved the stability of the colloidal system. The chemical structure of MSNs and MSN@Lip was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The particle size and morphology were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results demonstrated that the MSN@Lip was successfully synthesized with the hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of 177.13±1.5 nm and ‐57.57±4.00 mV, respectively. The optimal condition was sonication for 30 minutes at 60°C, with the Lip‐MSNs ratio as 3:1 (w/w). The SEM images showed that MSN@Lip has a spherical shape with high monodispersity. Releasing profile of doxorubicin (DOX) indicated that the formation of liposomal cap on MSN successfully reduced DOX burst release. The MSN@Lip is a potential delivery material for clinical translation because of colloidal stability, good drug loading content, and sustainable drug release.