Synthesis of novel drug-free cancer targeting nanotherapeutics

• Main Author: Cheong, How Min
• Other Authors: Dalton Tay Chor Yong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/139298
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are seen as one of the promising candidates for anti-cancer therapy, due to its favourable cancer-killing properties. In this research paper, MSNs are being further modified, through attachment of PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) chains, in efforts to increase its ability to cause cancer cell death in-vivo, by reducing aggregation and therefore increasing the stability of MSNs. Preliminary in vitro results indicate that PEG conjugation can significantly enhance the stability of MSN in water as well as physiologically-emulated phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). These data lay a solid foundation for the follow-up fabrication of cancer-targeting physiologically-stable silica nanomedicine.