Thermo-Responsive Core-Shell Composite Nanoparticles Synthesized Via One-Step Pickering Emulsion Polymerization for Controlled Drug Delivery

  Core-shell composite nanoparticles have been prepared by one-step Pickering emulsion polymerization with a nonionic initiator, using silica as the sole stabilizer. More importantly, the Pickering emulsion polymerization is applied to synthesize polystyrene/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)-silica core-shell nanoparticles with N-isopropylacrylamide incorporated into the core as a co-monomer. The composite nanoparticles are temperature sensitive and can be taken up by human prostate cancer (PC3 and PC3-PSMA) cells. An anticancer agent 17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) has been loaded into the polymeric cores during formation of the nanoparticles and drug release has been successfully observed at elevated temperatures. The ability of the various nanoparticles for inducing death in human prostate cancer cells has been evaluated.