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Review
. 2014:2014:670815.
doi: 10.1155/2014/670815. Epub 2014 Apr 24.

Carbon nanotubes: an emerging drug carrier for targeting cancer cells

Vaibhav Rastogi  1 , Pragya Yadav  1 , Shiv Sankar Bhattacharya  1 , Arun Kumar Mishra  1 , Navneet Verma  1 , Anurag Verma  1 , Jayanta Kumar Pandit  2
Affiliations
Review

Carbon nanotubes: an emerging drug carrier for targeting cancer cells

Vaibhav Rastogi et al. J Drug Deliv. 2014.

Abstract

During recent years carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attracted by many researchers as a drug delivery carrier. CNTs are the third allotropic form of carbon-fullerenes which were rolled into cylindrical tubes. To be integrated into the biological systems, CNTs can be chemically modified or functionalised with therapeutically active molecules by forming stable covalent bonds or supramolecular assemblies based on noncovalent interactions. Owing to their high carrying capacity, biocompatibility, and specificity to cells, various cancer cells have been explored with CNTs for evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters, cell viability, cytotoxicty, and drug delivery in tumor cells. This review attempts to highlight all aspects of CNTs which render them as an effective anticancer drug carrier and imaging agent. Also the potential application of CNT in targeting metastatic cancer cells by entrapping biomolecules and anticancer drugs has been covered in this review.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Carbon nanotube: (a) single walled carbon nanotube and (b) multiwalled carbon nanotube.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of methods used for carbon nanotube synthesis: (a) Arc discharge method, (b) chemical vapour deposition method, (c) laser ablation method.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanism of carbon nanotube synthesis: (a) Arc discharge method, (b) chemical vapor deposition method, and (c) laser ablation method.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic illustration of functionalization of CNTs with various molecules: (a) Prakash et al. [18], (b) Xiao et al. [78], (c) Xu et al. [70], (d) Gomez-Gualdron et al. [64], (e) Bianco et al. [79], (f) Jiang et al. [80], (g) Williams et al. [81], and (h) Kam and Dai [82].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Pathways for the penetration of CNTs into the cell. (a) Nonreceptor mediated endocytosis: (1) membrane that surrounds the drug loaded functionalized CNTs, (2) internalization of drug loaded CNTs, and (3) release of drug; (b) receptor mediated endocytosis: (4) membrane surrounds the CNT-receptor conjugate by forming endosomes followed by internalization, (5) release of drug, and (6, 7, 8) regeneration of receptor; (c) endocytosis independent pathway: (9) direct penetration of drug loaded functionalized CNT and (10) release of the drug.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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