# Mini-Review: Potential of Diatom-Derived Silica for Biomedical Applications
## 5 Silica for Biomedical Applications: Advantages
### Surface Functionalization for Drug Loading and for Biosensing Clips for Biomedical Applications
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Diatom Source** & **Type of Functionalization** & **Main Application** & **Aim** & **Reference(s)** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Coscinodiscus wailesii_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and antibody conjugation} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{Specific recognition} \\  & & & & antigen-antibody ( murine & [88] \\  & & & & monoclonal antibody) \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Coscinodiscus wailesii_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and antibody conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Biosensor} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Tethering and detecting antibodies} \\  & & & & (mix of normal rabbit serum and & [64] \\  & & & & purified IgG-Y) \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Cyclotella_ sp.} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and antibody conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Biosensor} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Selective and label-free} \\  & & & & photoluminescence-based & \\  & & & detection of antigen-antibody & \\  & & & (IgG-rabbit) complex formation & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Chatocerns_ sp.} & \multirow{3}{*}{Iron oxide nanoparticles and antibody conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Biosensor (with magnetic properties)} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Selective targeting of SKBR3} \\  & & & & cancer cells through the & \\  & & & & cancer cells through the & \\  & & & & employment of antibody & \\  & & & & (Tastuzumab) biconjugation & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Thalassisira wiesfagii_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Nitro oxide 2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMFO)} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Ciprofloxacin deficiency in fibroblasts and osteoblasts} & [90] \\  & & & & \\  & & & conjugation & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Aulacosein_ sp.} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization, and oligo (ethylene glycol)} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of levofloxacin delivery} & \multirow{3}{*}{[75]} \\  & & & & delivery \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_Nitaschia pala_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Amino acid (Tyr-Zn) conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Inhibition of bacterial growth} & [86] \\  & & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Diatomaceous earth} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and phosphonic acids conjugation-self-assembling monolayer} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of indomethacin and gentamicin delivery} & [67] \\  & & & & and gentamicin delivery \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Diatomaceous earth modifications} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and phosphonic acids modifications} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of indomethacin delivery} & [91] \\  & & & & delivery \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{DE mineral rocks} & \multirow{3}{*}{Graphene oxide, silanization} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of indomethacin} & \multirow{3}{*}{[82]} \\  & & & & delivery \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Diatomaceous earth} & \multirow{3}{*}{Diopamine modified iron-oxide nanoparticles (DOPA/Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\))} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier properties} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of indomethacin delivery} & \multirow{3}{*}{[78]} \\  & & & & delivery \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Diatomaceous earth} & \multirow{3}{*}{vitamin B12 and ruthenium (II) complex} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Improvement of the anticancer tris-tetraethyl [2,2’-bipyridine]-4,4’-diamine-ruthenium (II) complex delivery (tested on IT-29 and and MCF-7- cancer cells)} & \multirow{3}{*}{[83]} \\  & & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Calcined diatomic} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and siRNA conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Vehiculating siRNA into tumour cells to downregulateulate the expression of cancer-associated genes (tested on mirux A20 lymphoma cells)} & \multirow{3}{*}{[92]} \\  & & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Calcined diatomic} & \multirow{3}{*}{Silanization and siRNA conjugation} & \multirow{3}{*}{Drug carrier} & \multirow{3}{*}{Vehiculating siRNA into tumour cells to downregulateulate the expression of cancer-associated genes (tested on H1355 cancer cells)} & \multirow{3}{*}{[93]} \\  & & & & cells \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}