Their physicochemical properties and relatively low cost make cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) a potential candidate for future large-scale production in many fields including nanomedicine. Prior to a sustained and responsible development as theranostic agents, robust and reliable data concerning their safety, biocompatibility, and tissue distribution should be provided. In the present study, CNCs were extracted from Whatman filters functionalized with a fluorescent dye, and their interaction with living organisms has been thoroughly assessed. Our experimental evidence demonstrated that CNCs (1) are well tolerated by healthy mice after systemic injection; (2) are rapidly excreted, thus avoiding bioaccumulation in filter organs such as the kidneys and liver; (3) transiently migrate in bones; and (4) are able to penetrate in the cytoplasm of cancer cells without inducing material-related detrimental effects in terms of cell survival. Our results strongly suggest that the peculiar tropism to the bones is due to the chemical interaction between the Ca<sup>2+</sup> of the bone matrix and the active surface of negatively-charged CNCs. This feature, together with the ability to penetrate cancer cells, makes CNCs a potential nanodevice for theranostics in bone tumors.
Organ distribution and bone tropism of cellulose nanocrystals in living mice / L. Colombo, L. Zoia, M.B. Violatto, S. Previdi, L. Talamini, L. Sitia, F. Nicotra, M. Orlandi, M. Salmona, C. Recordati, P. Bigini, B. La Ferla. - In: BIOMACROMOLECULES. - ISSN 1525-7797. - 16:9(2015 Sep 14), pp. 2862-2871.
Titolo: | Organ distribution and bone tropism of cellulose nanocrystals in living mice |
Autori: | |
Parole Chiave: | Animals; Bone Neoplasms; Bone and Bones; Female; HeLa Cells; Humans; Mice; Nanoparticles; Cellulose; Drug Carriers |
Settore Scientifico Disciplinare: | Settore VET/03 - Patologia Generale e Anatomia Patologica Veterinaria |
Data di pubblicazione: | 14-set-2015 |
Rivista: | |
Tipologia: | Article (author) |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00805 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01 - Articolo su periodico |
File in questo prodotto:
File | Descrizione | Tipologia | Licenza | |
---|---|---|---|---|
acs.biomac.pdf | Publisher's version/PDF | Administrator Richiedi una copia |