Synthesis and functionalization of porous silicon nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery and photodynamic therapy

master's thesis

• Author: Petra Ivašković
• Mentor: Vladimir Mrša (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology; (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry); (Laboratory for Biochemistry); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2013-07-01, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOTECHNICAL SCIENCES; Biotechnology

Abstract

In recent years there has been a significant increase in research on biomedical applications of nanoparticles. They have attracted much attention due to their ability to encapsulate and release a diversity of therapeutics or genes to the organism in an effective and selective way. Among different nanocarriers, the porous silicon nanoparticles show some advantages due to their desirable properties such as biocompatibility, non-toxic degradation products, tunable pore sizes and volumes with a high payload capacity, a high surface area and an efficient photoluminescence. The aim of this project was functionalization of the porous silicon nanoparticles applied in two different cancer therapy approaches: immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The porous silicon nanoparticles were functionalized with histidine and lysine, the amino acids able to complex the nucleic acids. They were also functionalized with a photosensitizer porphyrin and the targeting agent, mannose. The nanoparticles were characterized by IR spectroscopy and quantification was done by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The effectiveness of functionalized nanoparticles was tested in vitro in two-photon excitation photodynamic therapy on MCF-7 cells.

• Keywords: nanoparticles of porous silicon; surface modification; immunotherapy; photodynamic therapy; cancer
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:159:355437
• Study programme: Title: Molecular Biotechnology; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka molekularne biotehnologije (magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka molekularne biotehnologije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2017-05-04 10:16:41