Graphene quantum dots conjugated albumin nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging of pancreatic cancer

TitleGraphene quantum dots conjugated albumin nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging of pancreatic cancer
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsNigam, P, Waghmode, S, Louis, M, Wangnoo, S, Chavan, P, Sarkar, D
JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry B
Volume2
Issue21
Pagination3190-3195
Date PublishedJUN
ISSN2050-750X
Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is considered to be the deadliest of all cancers due to its poor prognosis and resistance to conventional therapies. In this study, the potential of hyaluronic acid functionalized and green fluorescent graphene quantum dot (GQD)-labeled human serum albumin nanoparticles for pancreatic cancer specific drug delivery and bioimaging was explored. GQDs with tunable fluorescence properties and biocompatibility have attracted much more interest in recent years as compared to their metal semiconductor counterparts. We adopted lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) as a novel reducing agent for the synthesis of quantum dots and, in addition to excellent fluorescence of the synthesized GQDs, a good quantum yield of similar to 14% was also obtained. Gemcitabine, the most preferred drug for pancreatic cancer treatment, was encapsulated in albumin nanoparticles, and it was observed that our nanoformulation significantly enhanced the bioavailability and sustained release property of the drug to pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, the GQD-mediated bioimaging was excellent and enhanced the efficacy of our system as a drug delivery vehicle.

DOI10.1039/c4tb00015c
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)Foreign
Impact Factor (IF)4.726
Divison category: 
Biochemical Sciences