Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres are a novel form of glass material consisting of a 10 to 100-microm-diameter hollow central cavity surrounded by a 1-microm-thick silica shell. A tortuous network of nanometer-scale channels completely penetrates the shell. We show here that these channels promote size-dependent uptake and controlled release of biological molecules in the 3 to 8-nm range, including antibodies and a modified single-chain antibody variable fragment.
In addition, a 6-nm (70-kDa) dextran can be used to gate the porous walls, facilitating controlled release of an internalized short interfering RNA. PW-HGMs remained in place after mouse intratumoral injection, suggesting a possible application for the delivery of anticancer drugs. The combination of a hollow central cavity that can carry soluble therapeutic agents with mesoporous walls for controlled release is a unique characteristic that distinguishes porous-wall hollow glass microspheres from other glass materials for biomedical applications.
Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres are a novel form of glass microparticles with a tortuous network of nanometer-scale channels. These channels allow size-dependent uptake and controlled release of biological molecules including antibodies and single-chain antibody fragments. Porous-wall hollow glass microspheres remained in place after mouse intratumoral injection, suggesting a possible application for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs.
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