The viability of mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery

Encapsulation of potent drugs within nanocarriers that selectively target diseased cells raises high hopes to increase the efficacy of conventional drug delivery and decrease side effects. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), whose characteristic properties include uniform mesopores, facile and flexible surface functionalization and appreciable biocompatibility have gained much recent attention for facilitating biomedical applications.