Template synthesis of PMAA@chitosan hollow nanorods for docetaxel delivery

Nanorods are capable of enhanced intracellular delivery and prolonged blood circulation over their spherical counterparts, and thus can be used as unmatched drug carriers for cancer chemotherapy. An innovative method was developed to synthesize size-tunable, PMAA@chitosan-based, hollow polymeric nanorods for intracellular delivery, by using mesoporous silica nanorod templates. The morphology of the polymeric hollow nanorods was examined by TEM and FT-IR spectra, which indicated a homogeneous three-dimensional structure. An uptake study using human lung carcinoma A-549 cell lines revealed highly efficient cell internalization of the FITC-labeled nanorods, suggesting the potential of utilizing these nanorods as carriers in achieving effective intracellular drug delivery. Cell viability studies of the docetaxel-loaded nanorods yielded consistent results, as the drug-loaded nanorods produced a significantly higher inhibition of the growth of A-549 tumor cells when compared with treatment by free docetaxel. Overall, this preliminary in vitro investigation sheds light on the use of prepared hollow polymeric nanorods for drug delivery applications.