Provisional Ksp Determination of Calcium Phosphosilicate Nanoparticles
Open Access
- Author:
- Kumar, Nikhila
- Area of Honors:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- James Hansell Adair, Thesis Supervisor
Meghan Vidt, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- nanoparticles
cancer
calcium phosphosilicate - Abstract:
- Despite significant advances in treatment options for all types of cancer, cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the world. Recently, nanomedicine and targeted strategies have emerged as promising candidates for the new age of cancer treatment. Among current research efforts, calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles (CPSNPs) are some of the most promising due to their pH dependent solubility. CPSNPs can be surface bioconjugated with a wide variety of aptamers to target specific cells and cancers and have shown the ability to encapsulate an extensive array of chemotherapeutics and imaging agents. These nanoparticles have shown success in knocking down metastatic tumors in murine models as well. However, little is known of their quantitative solubility. This study expands upon the work of previous studies done to determine the chemical solubility of calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles. Previous studies determined a provisional solubility product (Ksp) for incorrect calcium phosphosilicate formulations. In this paper, the formulations are corrected. Calcium ion selective electrodes and inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) are used in conjunction with the electrolyte thermodynamic simulation program from OLI Systems to develop a quantitative solubility of CPSNPs. In addition to a provisional Ksp for the empty CPSNPs, a provisional Ksp was also attempted for CPSNPs encapsulating the florescent dye Rhodamine WT and CPSNPs encapsulating Indocyanine Green dye. Quantitative knowledge of the solubility of CPSNPs will allow further tailoring of the synthesis to design a nanoparticle that dissolves in highly specific physiological environments to treat a variety of cancers on-demand.