Porous Silicon Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Applications

Porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) represent a versatile platform for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents. Their high internal surface area and adjustable pore architecture allow efficient loading of small molecules, nucleic acids and biological macromolecules. Surface chemistry can be tailored to achieve sustained or stimuli-responsive release profiles, while biodegradability and biocompatibility facilitate safe clearance after cargo release. Functional coatings and targeting ligands enhance tissue selectivity and reduce off-target effects. Recent advances span cancer chemotherapy, gene therapy, anti-infective strategies and mucosal administration, underscoring the global relevance of pSiNPs as modular carriers that bridge fundamental materials science with clinical translation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Studies have elucidated how tumour microenvironments accelerate pSiNP erosion, revealing that reactive oxygen species upregulate silicon oxidation and gate release kinetics in neoplastic tissues. This mechanistic insight enables predictive design of carriers whose degradation matches therapeutic schedules. Another advance demonstrates spatially controlled surface modification of pSi matrices: internal pores are rendered hydrophobic to sustain release of hydrophobic drugs, while external layers bear antifouling polymers to minimise protein adsorption and cell attachment. A separate approach employs fusogenic liposome sheaths with homing peptides to deliver nucleic acids directly to macrophage cytosol, bypassing endolysosomal degradation and enhancing gene knockdown in a model of bacterial pneumonia.

Porous Silicon Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in porous silicon nanoparticles in drug delivery applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs): Nanostructured silicon with interconnected pores for loading therapeutics.

Drug loading: Incorporation of active agents into nanoparticle pores or on their surfaces.

Controlled release kinetics: Temporal profile of drug liberation from a carrier material.

Surface functionalization: Chemical modification of nanoparticle surfaces to alter interactions.

Stimuli-responsive delivery: Triggered release in response to pH, temperature, enzymes or external fields.

Targeting ligand: Molecule attached to a carrier that recognises specific cell receptors.

References

1. Porous silicon embedded in a thermoresponsive hydrogel for intranasal delivery of lipophilic drugs to treat rhinosinusitis. Journal of Controlled Release (2023).
2. Spatially Controlled Surface Modification of Porous Silicon for Sustained Drug Delivery Applications. Scientific Reports (2019).
3. Mechanism of erosion of nanostructured porous silicon drug carriers in neoplastic tissues. Nature Communications (2015).
4. Immunogene therapy with fusogenic nanoparticles modulates macrophage response to Staphylococcus aureus. Nature Communications (2018).
5. Combination of Chemotherapy and Mild Hyperthermia Using Targeted Nanoparticles: A Potential Treatment Modality for Breast Cancer. Pharmaceutics (2023).
6. Delivery of siRNA in vitro and in vivo using PEI-capped porous silicon nanoparticles to silence MRP1 and inhibit proliferation in glioblastoma. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2018).