Graphene Oxide Functional Nanohybrids with Magnetic Nanoparticles for Improved Vectorization of Doxorubicin to Neuroblastoma Cells
Luigi Lerra,
Annafranca Farfalla,
Beatriz Sanz,
Giuseppe Cirillo,
Orazio Vittorio,
Florida Voli,
Marion Le Grand,
Manuela Curcio,
Fiore Pasquale Nicoletta,
Anna Dubrovska,
Silke Hampel,
Francesca Iemma,
Gerardo F. Goya
Affiliations
Luigi Lerra
Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Annafranca Farfalla
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Science, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Beatriz Sanz
nB nanoSacale Biomagnetics SL, 50012 Zaragoza, Spain
Giuseppe Cirillo
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Science, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Orazio Vittorio
Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Florida Voli
Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Marion Le Grand
Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Manuela Curcio
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Science, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Fiore Pasquale Nicoletta
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Science, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Anna Dubrovska
OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
Silke Hampel
Leibniz Institute of Solid State and Material Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Francesca Iemma
Department of Pharmacy Health and Nutritional Science, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Gerardo F. Goya
Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA), Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
With the aim to obtain a site-specific doxorubicin (DOX) delivery in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, we designed an hybrid nanocarrier combining graphene oxide (GO) and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs), acting as core elements, and a curcumin–human serum albumin conjugate as functional coating. The nanohybrid, synthesized by redox reaction between the MNPs@GO system and albumin bioconjugate, consisted of MNPs@GO nanosheets homogeneously coated by the bioconjugate as verified by SEM investigations. Drug release experiments showed a pH-responsive behavior with higher release amounts in acidic (45% at pH 5.0) vs. neutral (28% at pH 7.4) environments. Cell internalization studies proved the presence of nanohybrid inside SH-SY5Y cytoplasm. The improved efficacy obtained in viability assays is given by the synergy of functional coating and MNPs constituting the nanohybrids: while curcumin moieties were able to keep low DOX cytotoxicity levels (at concentrations of 0.44–0.88 µM), the presence of MNPs allowed remote actuation on the nanohybrid by a magnetic field, increasing the dose delivered at the target site.
