Toward biomedical application of amino-functionalized silicon nanoparticles.

Silicon blue-emitting nanoparticles (NPs) are promising effectors for photodynamic therapy and radiotherapy, because of their production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon irradiation.

RESULTS: Amino-functionalized silicon NPs (NH2 SiNP) were intrinsically nontoxic below 100 μg/ml in vitro (on two tumor cell lines) and in vivo (zebrafish larvae and embryos). NH2 SiNP showed a moderate effect as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and reduced ROS generation in radiotherapy, which could be indicative of a ROS scavenging effect. Encapsulation of NH2 SiNP into ultradeformable liposomes improved their skin penetration after topical application, reaching the viable epidermis where neoplastic events occur.

CONCLUSION: Subsequent derivatizations after amino-functionalization and incorporation to nanodrug delivery systems could expand the spectrum of the biomedical application of these kind of silicon NPs.