Mesoporous silica nanoparticles: A Synthesis Guide and Research Progress in the Biomedical Field

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), characterized by their unique mesoporous architecture, high specific surface area, and facile functionalization, are pivotal in the biomedical field. In recent decades, meticulous research on designing and fabricating multifunctional nanosystems based on MSNs has achieved significant progress, substantially advancing the development of applications in diagnostic imaging, stimuli-responsive targeted drug delivery, synergistic therapy, in vitro diagnostics, and others. This review systematically discusses the progress in research on MSNs in biomedicine. Firstly, we discuss the mainstream synthesis methods for preparing well-dispersed MSNs. These methods allow precise control over the particle size, morphology, and surface characteristics of MSNs, optimizing their properties and functionalities to meet the requirements of various biomedical applications. Subsequently, we provided a detailed overview of the current applications of MSNs in the biomedical field, including 1) Multifunctional bioimaging agents based on MSNs, which achieve efficient multimodal imaging by loading magnetic nanoparticles or fluorescent materials; 2) Traditional stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems with MSNs as carriers, which are capable of releasing drugs under specific environmental conditions (e.g., pH, enzyme, redox, temperature, light, and magnetism) to improve the targeting and efficacy of the drugs; 3) In vitro diagnostics based on the combination of MSNs and lateral flow immunoassays, where the large surface area and surface functionalization of MSNs improve detection specificity and sensitivity. Lastly, this paper summarizes the significant achievements of MSNs in biomedical applications and provides my perspectives on clinical translation.