TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular beacon-decorated polymethylmethacrylate core-shell fluorescent nanoparticles for the detection of survivin mRNA in human cancer cells
AU - Adinolfi, Barbara
AU - Pellegrino, Mario
AU - Giannetti, Ambra
AU - Tombelli, Sara
AU - Trono, Cosimo
AU - Sotgiu, Giovanna
AU - Varchi, Greta
AU - Ballestri, Marco
AU - Posati, Tamara
AU - Carpi, Sara
AU - Nieri, Paola
AU - Baldini, Francesco
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2017/2/15
Y1 - 2017/2/15
N2 - One of the main goals of nanomedicine in cancer is the development of effective drug delivery systems, primarily nanoparticles. Survivin, an overexpressed anti-apoptotic protein in cancer, represents a pharmacological target for therapy and a Molecular Beacon (MB) specific for survivin mRNA is available. In this study, the ability of polymethylmethacrylate nanoparticles (PMMA-NPs) to promote survivin MB uptake in human A549 cells was investigated. Fluorescent and positively charged core PMMA-NPs of nearly 60 nm, obtained through an emulsion co-polymerization reaction, and the MB alone were evaluated in solution, for their analytical characterization; then, the MB specificity and functionality were verified after adsorption onto the PMMA-NPs. The carrier ability of PMMA-NPs in A549 was examined by confocal microscopy. With the optimized protocol, a hardly detectable fluorescent signal was obtained after incubation of the cells with the MB alone (fluorescent spots per cell of 1.90±0.40 with a mean area of 1.04±0.20 µm2), while bright fluorescent spots inside the cells were evident by using the MB loaded onto the PMMA-NPs. (27.50±2.30 fluorescent spots per cell with a mean area of 2.35±0.16 µm2). These results demonstrate the ability of the PMMA-NPs to promote the survivin-MB internalization, suggesting that this complex might represent a promising strategy for intracellular sensing and for the reduction of cancer cell proliferation.
AB - One of the main goals of nanomedicine in cancer is the development of effective drug delivery systems, primarily nanoparticles. Survivin, an overexpressed anti-apoptotic protein in cancer, represents a pharmacological target for therapy and a Molecular Beacon (MB) specific for survivin mRNA is available. In this study, the ability of polymethylmethacrylate nanoparticles (PMMA-NPs) to promote survivin MB uptake in human A549 cells was investigated. Fluorescent and positively charged core PMMA-NPs of nearly 60 nm, obtained through an emulsion co-polymerization reaction, and the MB alone were evaluated in solution, for their analytical characterization; then, the MB specificity and functionality were verified after adsorption onto the PMMA-NPs. The carrier ability of PMMA-NPs in A549 was examined by confocal microscopy. With the optimized protocol, a hardly detectable fluorescent signal was obtained after incubation of the cells with the MB alone (fluorescent spots per cell of 1.90±0.40 with a mean area of 1.04±0.20 µm2), while bright fluorescent spots inside the cells were evident by using the MB loaded onto the PMMA-NPs. (27.50±2.30 fluorescent spots per cell with a mean area of 2.35±0.16 µm2). These results demonstrate the ability of the PMMA-NPs to promote the survivin-MB internalization, suggesting that this complex might represent a promising strategy for intracellular sensing and for the reduction of cancer cell proliferation.
KW - A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells
KW - Cellular up-take
KW - Core-shell polymethylmethacrylate nanoparticles
KW - Molecular beacon
KW - Sensing in cell
KW - Survivin
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bios.2016.05.102
DO - 10.1016/j.bios.2016.05.102
M3 - Article
C2 - 27321444
AN - SCOPUS:84994666667
VL - 88
SP - 15
EP - 24
JO - Biosensors and Bioelectronics
JF - Biosensors and Bioelectronics
SN - 0956-5663
ER -