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The purpose of this study was to facilely develop amino modified mesoporous silica xerogel synthesized using biomimetic method (B-AMSX) and to investigate its potential ability to be a drug carrier for loading poorly water-soluble drug indomethacin (IMC). For comparison, mesoporous silica xerogel without amino modification (B-MSX) was also synthesized using the same method. The changes of characteristics before and after IMC loading were systemically studied using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. The results showed that B-MSX and B-AMSX were spherical nanoparticles with mesoporous structure. Compared with B-MSX, IMC loading capacity of B-AMSX was higher because more drug molecules can be loaded through stronger hydrogen bonding force. DSC and SAXS analysis confirmed the amorphous state of IMC after being loaded into B-MSX and B-AMSX. The in vitro drug release study revealed that B-MSX and B-AMSX improved IMC release significantly, and B-AMSX released IMC a little faster than B-MSX because of larger pore diameter of IMC-AMSX. B-MSX and B-AMSX degraded gradually in dissolution medium evidenced by color reaction and absorbance value, and B-AMSX degraded slower than B-MSX due to amino modification. In conclusion, B-AMSX with superiority of higher loading capacity and enhanced dissolution release can be considered to be a good candidate as drug carrier for IMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work initially illustrated the formation mechanism of chiral mesoporous silica (CMS) in a brand new insight named biomimetic synthesis. Three kinds of biomimetic synthesized CMS (B-CMS, including B-CMS1, B-CMS2 and B-CMS3) were prepared using different pH or stirring rate condition, and their characteristics were tested with transmission electron microscope and small angle X-ray diffraction. The model drug indomethacin was loaded into B-CMS and drug loading content was measured using ultraviolet spectroscopy. The result suggested that pH condition influenced energetics of self-assembly process, mainly packing energetics of the surfactant, while stirring rate was the more dominant factor to determine particle length. In application, indomethacin loading content was measured to be 35.3%, 34.8% and 35.1% for indomethacin loaded B-CMS1, indomethacin loaded B-CMS2 and indomethacin loaded B-CMS3. After loading indomethacin into B-CMS carriers, surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of B-CMS carriers were reduced. B-CMS converted crystalline state of indomethacin to amorphous state, leading to the improved indomethacin dissolution. B-CMS1 controlled drug release without burst-release, while B-CMS2 and B-CMS3 released indomethacin faster than B-CMS1, demonstrating that the particle length, the ordered lever of multiple helixes, the curvature degree of helical channels and pore diameter greatly contributed to the release behavior of indomethacin loaded B-CMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reported amino group functionalized anionic surfactant templated mesoporous silica (Amino-AMS) for loading and release of poorly water-soluble drug indomethacin (IMC) and carboxyl group functionalized cationic surfactant templated mesoporous silica (Carboxyl-CMS) for loading and release of poorly water-soluble drug famotidine (FMT). Herein, Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS were facilely synthesized using co-condensation method through two types of silane coupling agent. Amino-AMS was spherical nanoparticles, and Carboxyl-CMS was well-formed spherical nanosphere with a thin layer presented at the edge. Drug loading capacity was obviously enhanced when using Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS as drug carriers due to the stronger hydrogen bonding force formed between surface modified carrier and drug. Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS had the ability to transform crystalline state of loaded drug from crystalline phase to amorphous phase. Therefore, IMC loaded Amino-AMS presented obviously faster release than IMC because amorphous phase of IMC favored its dissolution. The application of asymmetric membrane capsule delayed FMT release significantly, and Carboxyl-CMS favored sustained release of FMT due to its long mesoporous channels and strong interaction formed between its carboxyl group and amino group of FMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano-delivery system with a dual biomimetic effect can penetrate deeper in tumor microenvironments (TMEs) and release sufficient antitumor drugs, which has attracted much attention. In this study, we synthesized erythrocyte-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (EMSNs) as the core loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and coated them with calcium phosphate (CaP) and erythrocyte membrane (EM) to obtain DOX/EsPMs. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescent co-localization and protein bands of SDS-PAGE were used to confirm the complete fabrication of EsPMs. The EsPMs with erythrocyte-like shape exhibited superior penetration ability in in vitro diffusion and tumor-sphere penetration experiments. Intracellular Ca2+ and ROS detection experiments showed that the CaP membranes of EsPMs with pH-sensitivity could provide Ca2+ continuously to induce reactive oxide species' (ROS) generation in the TME. The EM as a perfect "camouflaged clothing" which could confuse macrophagocytes into prolonging blood circulation. Hemolysis and non-specific protein adsorption tests proved the desirable biocompatibility of EsPMs. An in vivo pharmacodynamics evaluation showed that the DOX/EsPMs group had a satisfactory tumor-inhibition effect. These advantages of the nano-erythrocytes suggest that by modifying the existing materials to construct a nano-delivery system, nanoparticles will achieve a biomimetic effect from both their structure and function with a facilitated and sufficient drug release profile, which is of great significance for antitumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we synthesized hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) coated with polydopamine (PDA) and a D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS)-modified hybrid lipid membrane (denoted as HMSNs-PDA@liposome-TPGS) to load doxorubicin (DOX), which achieved the integration of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption/desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) were used to show the successful fabrication of the nanocarrier. Simultaneously, in vitro drug release experiments showed the pH/NIR-laser-triggered DOX release profiles, which could enhance the synergistic therapeutic anticancer effect. Hemolysis tests, non-specific protein adsorption tests, and in vivo pharmacokinetics studies exhibited that the HMSNs-PDA@liposome-TPGS had a prolonged blood circulation time and greater hemocompatibility compared with HMSNs-PDA. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that HMSNs-PDA@liposome-TPGS had a high cellular uptake efficiency. In vitro and in vivo antitumor efficiency evaluations showed that the HMSNs-PDA@liposome-TPGS + NIR group had a desirable inhibitory activity on tumor growth. In conclusion, HMSNs-PDA@liposome-TPGS successfully achieved the synergistic combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, and is expected to become one of the candidates for the combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy antitumor strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, three kinds of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (BMSs) were biomimetically synthesized by using heterocyclic amino acid derivatives as template and their the basic capacity in being drug carriers that covered structure, wettability, degradation, brain uptake, hemocompatibility and toxicity were systematically evaluated. The results indicated that BMSs were kinds of spherical nanoparticles with good biocompatibility. Their in vitro and in vivo behaviors, including degradation, biodistribution and biocompatibility were mainly governed by the wettability which was closely related to the structure and pore diameter of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. BMSs can degrade completely under simulated physiological environments through a time period of 2–13 weeks. They showed the tendency of brain distribution, and the distribution amount peaked at 4 h post administration. Particularly, Trp-BMS (BMS templated by C 16 - l -tryptophan) with the largest amount of OH groups on the surface exhibited highest wettability, fastest degradation rate and the lowest brain distribution ability. Besides, His-BMS (BMS templated by C 16 - l -histidine) and Pro-BMS (BMS templated by C 16 - l -poline) were silica materials with good biocompatibility. Both in vitro and in vivo studies uncovered no significantly toxicity for BMSs and they were proved to be safe when they circulated into the blood. However, Trp-BMS might induce severe hemolysis and cell cycle arrest due to the high wettability. It is believed that appropriate wettability is required for the in vivo application of nanomaterials and the in vivo evaluation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles will provide useful information for understanding the underlining toxicity of biomaterials and bring new insights on designing efficient drug delivery systems. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Biomimetically synthesized mesoporous silicas (BMSs) were kinds of nanoparticles with good biocompatibility and low toxicity. • The in vitro and in vivo behaviors of BMSs were mainly governed by their wettability. • The smaller the pore size was, the higher the density of –OH group was, the smaller the contact angle was. • BMSs can degrade completely under simulated physiological environments. • BMSs showed the tendency of brain distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The present paper reported a biomimetic synthesis of mesoporous silicas (BMSs) at room temperature by using synthesized polymers (C 16 - l -His, C 16 - l -Pro and C 16 - l -Trp) which derived from amino acid with ring structures as template under basic condition via co-structural-directing-agent method. The formation mechanism of BMSs and effect of initial synthesis conditions (such as surfactant structure, pH and co-solvents) on morphology and structure of BMSs were systematically studied. Synthesized BMSs were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. The results showed that the surfactant structure was the dominant factor to direct the final mesostructure of BMSs, since the structure of surfactant affected the structure and size of clusters. Meanwhile the generation of BMSs required very rigorous alkaline condition which controlled the ionization degree of the surfactant and thus contributing to adequate stacking energy. Higher pH resulted in construction of channels with higher curvature. The presence of ethanol was found to facilitate the formation of BMSs with larger particle size. In application, aspirin can be loaded into BMSs with high efficiency, and the drug crystalline state of aspirin transformed from crystalline state to amorphous state during this process, which undoubtedly lead to the improvement of drug dissolution from 72.8% to 100% within 90 min. It is convincible that the biomimetic method presented here provided novel insight on precisely control of mesoporous silica and undoubtedly promoted the application of mesoporous silica materials. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Heterocyclic amino acid derivatives templated mesoporous silicas were synthesized using biomimetic method. • Curved channels were obtained due to dynamic self-assembly of C 16 -L-aminoacid. • Surfactant structure, pH and co-solvents influenced the final morphology and structure of mesoporous silicas. • Biomimetic synthesized mesoporous silicas possessed excellent drug loading capacity and significantly improved the drug release rate in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been widely used in biomedical applications. However, most studies have been limited to spherical MSNs, while non-spherical MSNs have never been rigorously studied. In this study, we fabricated mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNSs) and mesoporous silica nanorods (MSNRs), with different aspect ratios (ARs) but identical surface chemistries to explore the shape effects of MSNs on oral delivery. The results of cellular studies demonstrated that MSNRs exhibited a higher cellular uptake than MSNSs. Mechanistic studies showed that caveolae-mediated endocytosis was involved in the uptake of MSNRs, while the clathrin-dependent pathway contributed to the endocytosis of MSNSs. Meanwhile, the apparent permeability coefficient value (Papp) of doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox)-loaded MSNRs was approximately 1.8-, 3.2- and 6.3-fold higher than that of Dox-loaded MSNS1, Dox-loaded MSNS2 and Dox solution, respectively. The in vivo pharmacokinetics study showed that the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) achieved by Dox-loaded MSNRs was 1.9-, 3.4- and 5.7-fold higher than the corresponding values for Dox-loaded MSNS1, MSNS2 and Dox solution, respectively. Taken together, our results demonstrated that tuning nanoparticle shape potentially determines the biological fate of nanoparticles with higher delivery efficiency, such as enhanced cellular uptake and oral bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, spherical shaped chiral mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CMS) was biomimetic synthesized using histidine derivatives (C 16 -L-histidine) as template via the sol–gel reaction and employed as poorly water-soluble drug nimodipine (NMP) carrier. Characteristics of CMS and its application as drug carrier were intensively investigated and compared with MCM41. Then NMP was respectively loaded into CMS and MCM41 with the drug: carrier weight ratio of 2:1. Structural features of NMP before and after drug loading were systemically characterized. The results demonstrated that hydrogen bonds were formed between NMP and carriers during the drug loading process. After drug loading, crystalline state of NMP effectively converted into modification L and amorphous state, and the first form turned out to be easily removed by washing. On the other hand, drug dissolution rate was significantly improved after drug loading, and the best result came from NMP-C3 sample. It was able to release 17.83% of drug within 60 min, which was 6.8-fold higher than the release amount of pure NMP. Undoubtedly, NMP-C3 presented the highest relative bioavailability (386.22%), and the best therapeutic effect. Meanwhile, CMS improved the brain distribution of NMP in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, control-release microcapsule of famotidine (FMT) loaded biomimetic synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (B-MSNs) was developed, and controlled release effect and stomach adhesion of this formulation in vitro were mainly investigated. B-MSN was previously synthesized and it was amorphous mesoporous nanoparticles with helical channels. Cytotoxicity of B-MSN was studied using human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and the result indicated that cytotoxicity of B-MSN can be neglected. After loading FMT into B-MSN, specific surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of B-MSN were obviously reduced. In vitro dissolution test showed that B-MSN had the ability to slow down FMT release for 15 min. In order to prolong controlled release effect and remained the advantage of B-MSN (improve drug stability due to its rigid silica framework), the combined application of control-release microcapsule (using cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K15M as excipients) with B-MSN was designed. It was obvious that newly designed formulation significantly controlled FMT release with Fickian diffusion mechanism and showed enhanced stomach adhesion in vitro, which has significant value in widening the application of B-MSN in formulation design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well known to all, delivering drug precisely to the tumor site is beneficial to improve antitumor effect. In this study, we reported mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) coated with dual-film of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) and lipid bilayer (denoted as MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes) innovatively which achieve sustained drug release anchored at tumor microenvironment and enhanced biocompatibility. The pH-sensitive CaCO 3 film acted as a guide to cap the pore channels of MSNs allowed pH-triggered drug release when transporting into cancer cells. Furthermore, MSNs@CaCO 3 was capsuled by lipid bilayer to improve cellular uptake efficiency and biocompatibility in blood circulation. Morphology of nanoparticles was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to confirm that double films were coated successfully. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was efficaciously loaded into mesoporous pores as a model drug with a high drug loading content of 28%, forming DOX-loaded MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes (DOX/MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes). Non-specific protein adsorption and hemolysis test revealed enhanced biocompatibility. Drug release study in vitro showed DOX/MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes could delay to release DOX at pH 5.0 and avoid releasing at pH 7.4. In vitro and in vivo antitumor efficiency evaluation showed that DOX/MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes have a desirable inhibitory activity on tumor growth. Therefore, dual-film coated MSNs could be a good candidate for an antitumor drug delivery system. [Display omitted] • pH-sensitivity of calcium carbonate and biocompatibility of liposome were combined in one drug delivery system. • DOX/MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes could decrease side effect. • DOX/MSNs@CaCO 3 @liposomes exhibited delayed drug release in six days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alanine-modified chiral mesoporous silica (CMS) was firstly synthesized using chiral silane coupling agent (L-Ala-ICPTES or D-Ala-ICPTES) deriving from L-alanine or D-alanine, which was denoted as L-Ala-MSN and D-Ala-MSN, respectively. The as-prepared CMSs exhibited highly ordered mesoporous structure with spherical morphology, huge specific surface area and pore volume, successful modification of alanine and opposite chirality, which was identified by transmission electron microscope (TEM), small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurement, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and induced circular dichroism (ICD). We also found that the biocompatibility of alanine modified CMSs was better than that of unmodified CMSs, which was confirmed by wettability test, degradation analysis, hemolysis test, protein adsorption test and evaluation of gastrointestinal irritation. Above all, the CMSs exerted chiral-selective delivery of achiral drug carvedilol (CAR) in simulated chiral environments. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that L-Ala-MSN and D-Ala-MSN could significantly improve oral bioavailability of carvedilol (168.43% and 230.18% respectively), and D-Ala-MSN could delivery more drugs in vivo. This work has laid a theoretical foundation for rational design of chiral nano-drug delivery systems and promoted the application and development of CMSs in medicine. [Display omitted] • CMSs were firstly obtained by chiral silane coupling agent deriving from L/D-alanine. • CMSs exhibited good biocompatibility and chiral-selective delivery of carvedilol. • CMSs had significantly improved the oral bioavailability of carvedilol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully synthesized chiral mesoporous silica nanorods using ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)/chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template systems, with well-arranged hexagonal mesoscopic structures, twisted rod-like morphology. They turned out to be excellent vehicles for chiral-selective release of achiral drugs, indometacin (IMC) and nimesulide (NMS). • CMSs were firstly synthesized with the template systems from UDCA/CDCA and CTAB. • High drug loading capacity of the CMSs was shown. • CMSs exhibited chiral-selective delivery of achiral drug in chiral environment. Twisted rod-like structured chiral mesoporous silicas (CMSs) have been firstly synthesized with the novel template systems from ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)/chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and CTAB. CMSs were characterized by various instrumental techniques, demonstrating highly ordered hexagonal mesoscopic phase and twisted rod-like morphology. Induced circular dichroism (ICD) indicated the preferential optical activity of the CMSs with involving phenol as a probe. Besides, CMSs exhibited chiral-selective delivery of achiral drug indometacin (IMC) and nimesulide (NMS) in simulated chiral environment. We believe that the novel synthesized CMSs were expected to be desirable carriers for drug delivery in the pharmaceutical field to extend the applications of inorganic nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its tunable textural properties and chirality feature, chiral mesoporous silica (CMS) gained significant consideration in many fields and has been developed rapidly in recent years. In this review, we provide an overview of synthesis strategies for fabricating CMS together with its main applications. The properties of CMS, including morphology and mesostructures and enantiomer excess (ee), can be altered according to the synthetic conditions during the synthesis process. Despite its primary stage, CMS has attracted extensive attention in many fields. In particular, CMS nanoparticles are widely used for enantioselective resolution and adsorption of chiral compounds with desirable separation capability. Also, CMS acts as a promising candidate for the effective delivery of chiral or achiral drugs to produce a chiral-responsive manner. Moreover, CMS also plays an important role in chromatographic separations and asymmetric catalysis. There has been an in-depth review of the synthetic methods and mechanisms of CMS. And this review aims to give a deep insight into the synthesis and application of CMS, especially in recent years, and highlights the significance that it may have in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explored absorption efficacy via an in vivo imaging system and parallel artificial membrane penetration in indomethacin (IMC) solid dispersion (SD) systems. Two different polymer excipients—hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and Kollicoat IR as precipitation inhibitors (PIs)—combined with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as carriers were investigated. The IMC–SDs were prepared using the solvent evaporation method and characterized by solubility analysis, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was confirmed that IMC successfully changed into an amorphous state after loading into the designed carriers. The in vitro release and stability experiments were conducted to examine the in vitro dissolution rates of IMC–SDs combined with HPMC and Kollicoat IR as PIs which both improved approximately three-fold to that of the pure drug. Finally, in vivo studies and in vitro parallel artificial membrane penetration (PAMPA) experiments ensured the greater ability of enhancing the dissolution rates of pure IMC in the gastrointestinal tract by oral delivery. In brief, this study highlights the prominent role of HPMC and Kollicoat IR as PIs in MSN SD systems in improving the bioavailability and gastrointestinal oral absorption efficiency of indomethacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Apply achiral alcohols as co-structure directing agents for CMS synthesis. • Exhibit release differentiation and sustained release of levofloxacin. • Achieve suitable antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. The present work reported two synthesized chiral mesoporous silicas (CMSs) with opposite chirality for loading, release, and antibacterial activities of levofloxacin (LOFL). Herein, helical CMS nanorods were prepared by the sol-gel method using CTAB as a template and either n -heptanol or n -nonanol as a co-structure-directing agent (CSDA). The synthesized CMSs were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), induced circular dichroism (ICD), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was applied to confirm amorphous state transformation after drug loading, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to quantify the LOFL loading capacity. In vitro drug release studies from the loaded CMSs showed significant differences in the release behaviour for LOFL. Moreover, LOFL-loaded CMSs significantly sustained LOFL release with Fickian diffusion mechanism. Both the drug-loaded CMSs inhibited bacterial growth successfully when tested with strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Therefore, the prepared CMSs could find application as suitable vehicles for drug delivery systems to exert the therapeutic effects of LOFL and achieve different release behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, twisted rod-like chiral mesoporous silicas (CMSs) with discriminating chiral characteristics (D/L) were designed and biomimetic synthesized by using L- and d -alanine derivatives as templates, and employed as poorly water-soluble chiral drug ibuprofen (IBU) carriers. The morphology and mesoscopic characteristics of CMSs were determined by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Meanwhile, the physicochemical properties of CMSs before and after drug loading were systematically characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and induced circular dichroism (ICD). The results suggested that, the CMSs exhibited local chiral characteristics, which were successfully endowed by the alanine-derivative surfactants templates with a reversal of chirality. The crystalline state of IBU was effectively converted to amorphous state after being incorporated into CMSs, and the drug delivery systems shared the chiral characteristic of carriers. Besides, in vitro drug release experiments were respectively performed in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 6.8) medium, and the results demonstrated that both l -CMS and d -CMS could improve the dissolution of IBU in SGF medium, which could be explained by the amorphization of IBU. Particularly, due to the different pore geometry of these two materials, CMSs with different chirality (D/L) could be applied as carriers to accomplish drug release differentiation. Unlabelled Image • Mesoporous silicas (CMSs) with chiral structures (D/L) were synthesized using biomimetic method. • CMSs could be used to accomplish drug release differentiation. • The solubility of ibuprofen was significantly improved after being loaded into CMSs. • The drug delivery systems shared the chiral characteristic of carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) in the field of oral drug delivery has recently attracted greater attention. However, there is still limited knowledge about how the shape of MSNs affects drug delivery capacity. In our study, we fabricated mesoporous silica nanorods (MSNRs) to study the shape effects of MSNs on oral delivery. MSNRs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and small-angle X-ray diffraction (small-angle XRD). Indomethacin (IMC), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, was loaded into MSNRs as model drug, and the drug-loaded MSNRs resulted in an excellent dissolution-enhancing effect. The cytotoxicity and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies indicated that MSNRs can be applied as a safe and efficient candidate for the delivery of insoluble drugs. The use of MSNs with a rod-like shape, as a drug delivery carrier, will extend the pharmaceutical applications of silica materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]