Cellulose nanocrystals are potential candidates for targeted drug delivery applications in cancer therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for the synthesis of fluorescently labeled, folate-targeted cellulose nanocrystals for cellular binding/uptake experiments. Cellulose nanocrystals were prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis of bleached wood pulp. The nanoparticles were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and folic acid using a multi-step reaction sequence. The particle size in the starting material, intermediate, and final products was measured by atomic force microscopy. Ionizable groups in the starting material and reaction products were quantified by conductometric titration. Changes in the chemical structure at each reaction step were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. The extent of FITC labeling and folate conjugation was determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. Preliminary binding/uptake experiments using fluorescence microscopy demonstrated folate-mediated uptake of the targeted cellulose nanocrystals by KB cells and minimal non-specific uptake of non-targeted cellulose nanocrystals.

Synthesis of FITC-labeled, folate-targeted cellulose nanocrystals

239th National Meeting (2010)

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