Quantum dot-doped silica nanoparticles as probes for targeting of T-lymphocytes

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Authors: Massimo Bottini, Federica D’Annibale, Andrea Magrini, Fabio Cerignoli, Yutaka Arimura, Marcia I Dawson, Enrico Bergamaschi, Nicola Rosato, Antonio Bergamaschi, Tomas Mustelin

Published Date August 2007 Volume 2007:2(2) Pages 227 - 233

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S

Massimo Bottini^1,2,4, Federica D’Annibale², Andrea Magrini², Fabio Cerignoli¹, Yutaka Arimura¹, Marcia I Dawson¹, Enrico Bergamaschi⁵, Nicola Rosato³, Antonio Bergamaschi¹, Tomas Mustelin¹

¹Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA, USA; ²NAST and Department of Environmental, Occupational and Social Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; ³NAST and Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; ⁴INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy; ⁵Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Abstract: To enhance diagnostic or therapeutic efficacy, novel nanomaterials must be engineered to function in biologically relevant environments, be visible by conventional fluorescent microscopy, and have multivalent loading capacity for easy detection or effective drug delivery. Here we report the fabrication of silica nanoparticles doped with quantum dots and superficially functionalized with amino and phosphonate groups. The amino groups were acylated with a water-soluble biotin-labeling reagent. The biotinylated nanoparticles were subsequently decorated with neutravidin by exploiting the strong affinity between neutravidin and biotin. The resultant neutravidin-decorated fluorescent silica nanoparticles stably dispersed under physiological conditions, were visible by conventional optical and confocal fluorescent microscopy, and could be further functionalized with macromolecules, nucleic acids, and polymers. We also coated the surface of the nanoparticles with biotinylated mouse anti-human CD3 (αCD3). The resultant fluorescent nanoassembly was taken up by Jurkat T cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis and was partially released to lysosomes. Thus, quantum dotdoped silica nanoparticles decorated with neutravidin represent a potentially excellent scaffold for constructing specific intracellular nanoprobes and transporters.

Keywords: silica nanoparticles, neutravidin, surface functionalization, endocytosis, intracellular nanoprobe

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