Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been proposed as nanovehicles for drug or antigen delivery since they can be functionalized with different biomolecules. For this purpose, different types of molecules have been chemically bonded to CNTs; however, this method has low efficiency and generates solvent waste. Candida antarctica lipase is an enzyme that, in an organic solvent, can bind a carboxylic to a hydroxyl group by esterase activity. The objective of this work was to functionalize purified CNTs with insulin as a protein model using an immobilized lipase of Candida antarctica to develop a sustainable functionalization method with high protein attachment. The functionalized CNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE). The enzymatic functionalization of insulin on the surface of the CNTs was found to have an efficiency of 21%, which is higher in conversion and greener than previously reported by the diimide-activated amidation method. These results suggest that enzymatic esterification is a convenient and efficient method for CNT functionalization with proteins. Moreover, this functionalization method can be used to enhance the cellular-specific release of proteins by lysosomal esterases.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials with multiple possible uses as drug carriers or in nanovaccine development. However, the toxicity of CNTs administered intravenously in in vivo models has not been fully described to date. This work aimed to evaluate the toxic effect of pristine multi-walled CNTs (UP-CNTs), purified (P-CNTs), or CNTs functionalized with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-CNTs) administered by intravenous injection in BALB/c mice. Biochemical and histopathological parameters were analyzed at 1, 14, 29, and 60 days post-exposure. Pristine CNTs were the most toxic nanoparticles in comparison with P-CNTs or FITC-CNTs, increasing serum AST (≈ 180%), ALT (≈ 300%), and LDH (≈ 200%) levels at one day post-exposure. The urea/creatinine ratio suggested pre-renal injury at the 14th day accompanied of extensive lesions in kidneys, lungs, and liver. Biochemical and histological findings in mice exposed to P-CNTs had not significant differences compared to the controls. A lower toxic effect was detected in animals exposed to FITC-CNTs which was attributable to FITC toxicity. These results demonstrate that the purification process of CNTs reduces in vivo toxicity, and that toxicity in functionalized CNTs is dependent on the functionalized compound. Therefore, P-CNTs are postulated as potential candidates for safe biomedical applications using an intravenous pathway.
In recent years, nanotechnology has had an important development in nanoparticle-based therapies. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most valuable nanoparticles, given their physicochemical properties and functionalization possibilities; therefore, they are proposed as peptide carriers in immunotherapies. Immunotherapy has been explored as a promising therapy in ovarian cancer (OvCa), and it has been reported that macrophage polarization into M1 and M2 phenotypes plays a pivotal role in OvCa initiation, progression, and metastasis, providing therapeutic targets for macrophage-targeted treatment. In this work, we explored the initial stages for the design of CNTs-based immunotherapy for ovarian cancer (OvCa) using fucosyltransferase-4-derived T cell epitopes conjugated with CNTs (f-CNTs). Their cytotoxicity and biological interactions were analyzed in macrophages (J774A.1) and human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3). Here we showed that f-CNTs do not show cytotoxicity signs in concentrations < 6 µg/mL; additionally, they induced morphological changes and activation in macrophages, time-dependent uptake in lysosomes, production of M1-like cytokines, upregulation of CD80, CD86, and MHC II, and downregulation of ARG-1. In conclusion, f-CNTs exhibited biocompatibility in both cell lines and displayed M1-like polarization in macrophages, allowing us to propose them as a peptide carrier system for macrophage activation and polarization for being explored in ovarian cancer immunotherapies.
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