An efficient synthetic route for a soluble silsesquioxane-daunorubicin conjugate

Functionalization of octaspherosilicate (HSiMe2O)8Si8O12 with buta-1,3-diynes by hydrosilylation

Hydrosilylation with octaspherosilicate (HSiMe2O)8Si8O12 (1) has provided hundreds of molecular and macromolecular systems so far, making this method the most popular in the synthesis of siloxane-based, nanometric, cubic, and reactive building blocks. However, there are no reports on its selective reaction with 1,3-diynes, which allows for the formation of new products with unique properties. Therefore, herein we present an efficient protocol for monohydrosilylation of symmetrically and non-symmetrically 1,4-disubstituted buta-1,3-diynes with 1. The compounds obtained bear double and triple bonds and other functionalities (e.g., Br, F, OH, SiR3), making them highly desirable, giant building blocks in organic synthesis and material chemistry. These compounds were fully characterized by 1H, 13C, 29Si, 1D NOE, 1H-13C HSQC NMR, FT-IR, and MALDI TOF MS, EA, UV-Vis, and TGA analysis. The TGA proved their high thermal stability up to 427 ℃ (Td10%) for compound 3j.

Cationic Phenosafranin Photosensitizers Based on Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes for Inactivation of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

The high photodynamic effect of the Newman strain of the S. aureus and of clinical strains of S. aureus MRSA 12673 and E. coli 12519 are observed for new cationic light-activated phenosafranin polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) conjugates in vitro. Killing of bacteria was achieved at low concentrations of silsesquioxanes (0.38 µM) after light irradiation (λ_{em. max} = 522 nm, 10.6 mW/cm²) for 5 min. Water-soluble POSS-photosensitizers are synthesized by chemically coupling a phenosafranin dye (PSF) (3,7-diamino-5-phenylphenazine chloride) to an inorganic silsesquioxane cage activated by attachment of succinic anhydride rings. The chemical structure of conjugates is confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR, HRMS, IR, fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-VIS analyzes. The APDI and daunorubicin (DAU) synergy is investigated for POSSPSFDAU conjugates. Confocal microscopy experiments indicate a site of intracellular accumulation of the POSSPSF, whereas iBuPOSSPSF and POSSPSFDAU accumulate in the cell wall or cell membrane. Results from the TEM study show ruptured S. aureus cells with leaking cytosolic mass and distorted cells of E. coli. Bacterial cells are eradicated by ROS produced upon irradiation of the covalent conjugates that can kill the bacteria by destruction of cellular membranes, intracellular proteins and DNA through the oxidative damage of bacteria.

Use of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) in Drug Delivery, Photodynamic Therapy and Bioimaging

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) have attracted considerable attention in the design of novel organic-inorganic hybrid materials with high performance capabilities. Features such as their well-defined nanoscale structure, chemical tunability, and biocompatibility make POSS an ideal building block to fabricate hybrid materials for biomedical applications. This review highlights recent advances in the application of POSS-based hybrid materials, with particular emphasis on drug delivery, photodynamic therapy and bioimaging. The design and synthesis of POSS-based materials is described, along with the current methods for controlling their chemical functionalization for biomedical applications. We summarize the advantages of using POSS for several drug delivery applications. We also describe the current progress on using POSS-based materials to improve photodynamic therapies. The use of POSS for delivery of contrast agents or as a passivating agent for nanoprobes is also summarized. We envision that POSS-based hybrid materials have great potential for a variety of biomedical applications including drug delivery, photodynamic therapy and bioimaging.

Peptide 18-4/chlorin e6-conjugated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticles for targeted photodynamic therapy of breast cancer

Chlorin e6 (Ce6), with its high phototoxic potential, has wide applications in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for many human diseases. However, poor cancer cell localization of Ce6 has limited its direct application for PDT. Here, we developed cancer-targeting peptide p 18-4/chlorin e6 (Ce6)-conjugated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PPC) nanoparticles for improving the targeting ability of Ce6 to breast cancer cells, thereby enhancing PDT efficacy. The synthesized PPC nanoparticles exhibited a spherical shape with an average diameter of 127.2 ± 11.3 nm in aqueous solution. Compared with free Ce6, the immobilization of p 18-4 enhanced the in vitro cellular uptake and targeting ability of PPC nanoparticles in breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. In addition, the intracellular uptake of PPC nanoparticles in MDA-MB-231 cells was dramatically increased compared with other cancer cells, indicating an obvious targeting ability of PPC nanoparticles on breast cancer cells. Upon light irradiation, PPC nanoparticles revealed significantly improved phototoxicity to MDA-MB-231 cells, mainly due to apoptotic cell death. In vivo PDT study suggested that PPC nanoparticles exhibited increased retention in tumor tissues and effectively inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 tumors in a target-specific manner. Overall, these results indicate that PPC nanoparticles are highly effective PDT agents for breast cancer therapy.

Synthetic routes to nanoconjugates of anthracyclines

Anthracyclines (Anth) are widely used in the treatment of various types of cancer. Unfortunately, they exhibit serious adverse effects, such as hematopoietic depression and cardiotoxicity, leading to heart failure. In this review, we focus on recently developed conjugates of anthracyclines with a range of nanocarriers, such as polymers, peptides, DNA or inorganic systems. Manipulation of the composition, size and shape of chemical entities at the nanometer scale makes possible the design and development of a range of prodrugs. In this review we concentrate on synthetic chemistry in the long process leading to the introduction of novel therapeutic products.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Composite Nanofibers Containing Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane⁻Epigallocatechin Gallate Conjugate for Bone Tissue Regeneration

To provide adequate conditions for the regeneration of damaged bone, it is necessary to develop piezoelectric porous membranes with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, composite nanofibers comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane–epigallocatechin gallate (POSS–EGCG) conjugate were fabricated by electrospinning methods. The resulting composite nanofibers showed three-dimensionally interconnected porous structures. Their average diameters, ranging from 936 ± 223 nm to 1094 ± 394 nm, were hardly affected by the addition of the POSS–EGCG conjugate. On the other hand, the piezoelectric β-phase increased significantly from 77.4% to 88.1% after adding the POSS–EGCG conjugate. The mechanical strength of the composite nanofibers was ameliorated by the addition of the POSS–EGCG conjugate. The results of in vitro bioactivity tests exhibited that the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) on the nanofibers increased with the content of POSS–EGCG conjugate because of the improved piezoelectricity and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the nanofibers. All results could suggest that the PVDF composite nanofibers were effective for guided bone regeneration.

Selective Hydrosilylation of Alkynes with Octaspherosilicate (HSiMe2 O)8 Si8 O12

Comprehensive studies on platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation of a wide range of terminal and internal alkynes with spherosilicate (HSiMe2 O)8 Si8 O12 (1 a) were performed. The influence of the reaction parameters and the types of reagents and catalysts on the efficiency of the process, which enabled the creation of a versatile and selective method to synthesize olefin octafunctionalized octaspherosilicates, was studied in detail. Within this work, twenty novel 1,2-(E)-disubstituted and 1,1,2-(E)-trisubstituted alkenyl-octaspherosilicates (3 a-m, 6 n-t) were selectively obtained with high yields, and fully characterized (1 H, 13 C, 29 Si NMR, FTIR, MALDI TOF or TOF MS ES+ analysis). Moreover, the molecular structure of the compound (Me3 Si(H)C=C(H)SiMe2 O)8 Si8 O12 (3 a) was determined by X-ray crystallography for the first time. The developed procedures are the first that allow selective hydrosilylation of terminal silyl, germyl, aryl, and alkyl alkynes with 1 a, as well as the direct introduction of sixteen functional groups into the 1 a structure by the hydrosilylation of internal alkynes. This method constituted a powerful tool for the synthesis of hyperbranched compounds with a Si-O based cubic core. The resulting products, owing to their unique structure and physicochemical properties, are considered novel, multifunctional, hybrid, and nanometric building blocks, intended for the synthesis of star-shaped molecules or macromolecules, as well as nanofillers and polymer modifiers. In the presented syntheses, commercially available reagents and catalysts were used, so these methods can be easily repeated, rapidly scaled up, and widely applied.

Unusual Enhancement of Doxorubicin Activity on Co-Delivery with Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), bearing eight 3-chloroammoniumpropyl substituents, was studied as a potential nanocarrier in co-delivery systems with doxorubicin (DOX). The toxicity of doxorubicin and POSS:DOX complexes at four different molar ratios (1:1; 1:2, 1:4, 1:8) towards microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and human cervical cancer endothelial cells (HeLa) was determined. The rate of penetration of the components into the cells, their cellular localization and the hydrodynamic diameter of the complexes was also determined. A cytotoxicity profile of POSS:DOX complexes indicated that the POSS:DOX system at the molar ratio of 1:8 was more effective than free DOX. Confocal images showed that DOX co-delivery with POSS allowed for more effective penetration of doxorubicin through the cell membrane. Taking all the results into account, it can be claimed that the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (T₈-POSS) is a promising, complex nanocarrier for doxorubicin delivery.