Magnesium silicide nanoparticles as a deoxygenation agent for cancer starvation therapy.

Title Magnesium silicide nanoparticles as a deoxygenation agent for cancer starvation therapy.
Authors C. Zhang; D. Ni; Y. Liu; H. Yao; W. Bu; J. Shi
Journal Nat Nanotechnol
DOI 10.1038/nnano.2016.280
Abstract

A material that rapidly absorbs molecular oxygen (known as an oxygen scavenger or deoxygenation agent (DOA)) has various industrial applications, such as in food preservation, anticorrosion of metal and coal deoxidation. Given that oxygen is vital to cancer growth, to starve tumours through the consumption of intratumoral oxygen is a potentially useful strategy in fighting cancer. Here we show that an injectable polymer-modified magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) nanoparticle can act as a DOA by scavenging oxygen in tumours and form by-products that block tumour capillaries from being reoxygenated. The nanoparticles are prepared by a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis strategy. In the acidic tumour microenvironment, the Mg2Si releases silane, which efficiently reacts with both tissue-dissolved and haemoglobin-bound oxygen to form silicon oxide (SiO2) aggregates. This in situ formation of SiO2 blocks the tumour blood capillaries and prevents tumours from receiving new supplies of oxygen and nutrients.

Citation C. Zhang; D. Ni; Y. Liu; H. Yao; W. Bu; J. Shi.Magnesium silicide nanoparticles as a deoxygenation agent for cancer starvation therapy.. Nat Nanotechnol. 2017;12(4):378386. doi:10.1038/nnano.2016.280

Related Elements

Magnesium

Magnesium Bohr ModelSee more Magnesium products. Magnesium (atomic symbol: Mg, atomic number: 12) is a Block S, Group 2, Period 3 element with an atomic mass of 24.3050. The number of electrons in each of Magnesium's shells is [2, 8, 2] and its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2. The magnesium atom has a radius of 160 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 173 pm. Magnesium was discovered by Joseph Black in 1775 and first isolated by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1808. Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust and the fourth most common element in the earth as a whole. Elemental MagnesiumIn its elemental form, magnesium has a shiny grey metallic appearance and is an extremely reactive. It is can be found in minerals such as brucite, carnallite, dolomite, magnesite, olivine and talc. Commercially, magnesium is primarily used in the creation of strong and lightweight aluminum-magnesium alloys, which have numerous advantages in industrial applications. The name "Magnesium" originates from a Greek district in Thessaly called Magnesia.

Silicon

See more Silicon products. Silicon (atomic symbol: Si, atomic number: 14) is a Block P, Group 14, Period 3 element with an atomic weight of 28.085. Silicon Bohr MoleculeThe number of electrons in each of Silicon's shells is 2, 8, 4 and its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p2. The silicon atom has a radius of 111 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 210 pm. Silicon was discovered and first isolated by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1823. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the earth's crust, by weight, and is the second most abundant element, exceeded only by oxygen. The metalloid is rarely found in pure crystal form and is usually produced from the iron-silicon alloy ferrosilicon. Elemental SiliconSilica (or silicon dioxide), as sand, is a principal ingredient of glass, one of the most inexpensive of materials with excellent mechanical, optical, thermal, and electrical properties. Ultra high purity silicon can be doped with boron, gallium, phosphorus, or arsenic to produce silicon for use in transistors, solar cells, rectifiers, and other solid-state devices which are used extensively in the electronics industry.The name Silicon originates from the Latin word silex which means flint or hard stone.

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