Carbon Nanohorns as Anticancer Drug Carriers

Abstract

We demonstrate that oxidized single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWNHs), a type of single-wall nanotube, entrap cisplatin, an anticancer agent. We found that the cisplatin structure was maintained inside the SWNHs and that the cisplatin was slowly released from the SWNHs in aqueous environments. The released cisplatin was effective in terminating the growth of human lung-cancer cells, while the SWNHs themselves had no such effect. Cisplatin-incorporated oxidized SWNHs are thus a potential drug delivery system.

Therapeutic applications of low-toxicity spherical nanocarbon materials

“…Further, it has been shown that when cisplatin was released from these aggregates, it remarkably reduces the viability of cancer cells. 90 In another study, SWNH aggregates were used as a drug reservoir for the controlled release of vancomycin (an antibiotic agent). 91 These early studies showed the potential of using SWNHs as nano-therapeutic drug carriers.…”

Fabrication of ZnPc/protein nanohorns for double photodynamic and hyperthermic cancer phototherapy

“…Pioneering in vitro studies have shown that SWNTs and SWNHs can be used to deliver therapeutic drugs and diagnostic molecules into cells (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Carbonaceous tubules absorb light in the near-infrared region, and can cause cell death by a localized photothermal or photohyperthermia (PHT) effect (14).…”

“…Thousands of SWNHox partially coalesce to form an 80-to 100-nm spherical aggregate (2), and this aggregate is expected to have enhanced permeability and retention properties (26,27) that make SWNHox effective for passive delivery of drugs to tumors. The holes of SWNHox observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are 1-3 nm in diameter (28), and their pore sizes distributed in a range of 1-5 nm, showing a maximum at Ϸ2 nm (29), so that ZnPc [size: Ϸ1.4 nm (30)], similar to other molecules (7,8,(31)(32)(33), can pass into the SWNHox tubules. The edges of the SWNHox holes have many carboxyl groups that can be used to attach biological materials, such as proteins, to enhance the biocompatibility of SWNHox (34).…”

Carbon Nanotube‐based Vectors for Delivering Immunotherapeutics and Drugs

“…Low toxicity was not only a characteristic of SWNTs functionalized with peptides. Both f -SWNTs and f -MWNTs, regardless of cell subtypes, are nontoxic on their own [90,220]. HeLa cells, incubated for several hours with about 1 mg mL À1 of CNTs mixed with plasmid DNA in different charge ratios, did not demonstrate signs of apoptosis [191].…”

“…The analysis of activation of glucocorticoid response in mouse bone marrow cells and induction of alkaline phosphatase in mouse osteoblasts confirmed the biological activity of the drug released from the carbon support. Similarly, carbon nanohorns were used to encapsulate cisplatin (another anticancer agent) [220]. Again, the structure of the drug was preserved into the aggregates.…”