Understanding the impact of silica nanoparticles in cancer cells through physicochemical and biomolecular characterizations

Abstract

Synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles (SASNs) have emerged as versatile nanomaterials with extensive applications across multiple domains. Their unique physicochemical properties, including controllable size, tuneable surface chemistry, and high stability, have attracted substantial interest for diverse applications, ranging from electronics and materials science to biomedicine. However, the discussion about their toxicity is still open. In this article, we synthesized Stober nanoparticles (SiNPs) and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), which consist of SBA-15 and mesocellular foams (MCFs). Their stability in cell culture media (CCM) and consequent protein corona formation were investigated prior to cytotoxicity evaluation. The analysis of the protein corona revealed differences in the relative abundance of proteins related to different sizes of SiNPs and different CCM. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized nanomaterials was evaluated in different cancer cell lines and normal lung fibroblasts. Hemolysis data of SiNPs indicated that smaller nanoparticles (NPs) present in higher numbers per unit of mass were more toxic, but this was not reflected in others cytotoxicity standard tests. The results indicate that long-term exposure of cells to silica-based treatments can significantly affect their viability, with the extent of this effect being related to the characteristics and stability of particles. Therefore, the consideration of these factors is crucial when evaluating the potential applications of NPs in drug delivery or imaging.