Selective antileukemia effect of stabilized nanohybrid vesicles based on cholesteryl succinyl silane

A nanohybrid vesicle was developed from cholesteryl succinyl silane(CSS) in combination of sol–gel process and self-assembly technique. The silicalike surface adds CSS vesicles remarkably high stability against destabilization in blood or leakage of drug cargos. It was found that CSS vesicles alone exhibited selective antiproliferative effects on leukemia cells without destroying normal blood cells. In addition, they are able to encapsulate not only hydrophilic guest species inside the inner water compartment but also hydrophobic molecules in the cholesteryl succinyl bilayer membrane. More importantly, CSS vesicles loaded with doxorubicin enhanced the anticancer efficiency of cancer therapeutics greatly while minimizing the use of inactive materials and lowering the exposure of normal cells to toxic side effects. This makes CSS vesicle a promising carrier for the treatment of cancer, especially for leukemia.