Biocompatible Release Valve

Significance

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles modified with molecular valves are promising drug-delivery vehicles because they are able to encapsulate a therapeutic payload, shield it from enzymatic degradation, and allow site-selective release in response to a given stimulus. Further, the nanovalve approach does not require covalent modification to the therapeutic candidate and multiple drug molecules can be released following a single stimulus event. The authors present a biocompatible system that demonstrates enzyme-specific release of 0.45 mmol of a rhodamine dye with a release half-life of 5 min.