Mesoporous silica nanoparticles with bilayer coating of poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) and human serum albumin (HSA): A pH-sensitive carrier for gemcitabine delivery

Novel bilayer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MCM-41) based on pH sensitive poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) and human serum albumin (HSA) was designed for controlled delivery of gemcitabine (anticancer drug) to cancer cells. The shell around the mesoporous silica has bilayer structure. Poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) was used as pH-sensitive inner shell and human serum albumin, HSA, was used as outer shell. The core-shell structure was formed due to electrostatic interaction between ammonium groups of modified MCM-41 and carboxylate groups of copolymer. Also, the albumin layer was wrapped around the copolymer coated nanoparticle by electrostatic interaction between ammonium groups from protein and carboxylate ions of copolymer shell. Moreover, the maximum release occurred at pH 5.5 (pH of endosomes) because the bilayer shell collapsed at this pH. The drug nanocarrier would be a good candidate for tumor therapy due to its biocompatibility, controlled release and pH responsive behavior.