| Recent advances in nanomaterials have demonstrated the potential applications of these agents for the improved detection and treatment of many forms of cancer. Nanomaterials have been shown to accumulate in tumors via a passive mechanism known as the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Tumor targeting with nanomaterials can be further improved by the addition of targeting ligands to the nanomaterial surface, which would selectively bind to cancerous cells. This work describes the development of several novel nanomaterials complexes with applications in tumor targeted imaging and therapy for improved cancer detection and treatment. We have introduced a new species of nanomaterials composed of Prussian blue. Prussian blue nanoparticles were shown to enhance T1-weighted MRI contrast, were found to be biocompatible in a series of in vitro toxicology studies, were taken up in high quantities by cancerous cell lines, and could be surface functionalized with small molecules for intracellular delivery. We also describe a one step synthetic method for the preparation of valproic acid coated gold nanoparticles with potential drug delivery applications. These materials possess high drug loading levels of the therapeutic agent valproic acid, and may serve as a future starting material for the preparation of nanoparticles loaded with multiple synergistic chemotherapeutic agents. Finally we describe the synthesis, assembly, and preliminary targeting efficiency results of a ternary nanoconjugate system for the targeted delivery of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin to CD44 overexpressing tumors. |
