Silvia Villa
University of Genoa, Italy
Title: Biocompatible multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles for possible applications in nanomedicine
Biography
Biography: Silvia Villa
Abstract
Multifunctional nanoprobes combining magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with organic dyes have attracted great interest due to their promising applications in biomedical field. Among the wide selection of different nanoprobes, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), loaded with different functionalities, provide promising application in the drug delivery therapy. In cancer treatment, a possible drug delivery approach is the well-known prodrug monotherapy (PMT), in which the drug is released by enzymes naturally overexpressed in tumor tissues. A recognized enzyme suitable for this method is plasmin, a serine protease. A combination of the two approaches can enhance the cancer treatment because, under the influence of an external magnetic field, it is possible to orient the magnetic nanoparticles to the tumor site and concentrate the drug in the ill tissue. In this perspective, our project aimed at optimizing this approach, planning a superparamagnetic probe based on iron oxide NPs and conjugating a fluorescent tag through a tripeptide linker. This peculiar system has been designed to be cleaved by plasmin with the resulting release of the fluorescent tag. Therefore, this original system could find applications either in the imaging diagnostic or in the drug delivery fields. Herein, we present the synthesis and the characterization of the two components (SPIONs and the tripeptide linked to a fluorescent tag) and the study of their conjugation. Furthermore, we present the preliminary results of the enzymatic cleavage, as proof of concept of our project.