Controlled Chemical Derivatisation of Carbon Nanotubes with Imaging, Targeting, and Therapeutic Capabilities

Abstract

In drug delivery, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hold a great potential as carriers because of their ability to easily cross biological barriers and be internalised into cells. Their high aspect ratio allows multi-functionalisation and their development as a multimodal platform for targeted therapy. In this article, we report the controlled covalent derivatisation of triple-functionalised CNTs with the anticancer drug gemcitabine, folic acid as a targeting ligand and fluorescein as a probe. The anticancer activity of gemcitabine was maintained after covalent grafting onto the CNTs. The functionalised nanotubes were internalised into both folate-positive and negative cells, suggesting the passive diffusion of CNTs. Overall, our approach is versatile and offers a precise chemical control of the sidewall functionalisation of CNTs and the possibility to manoeuvre the types of functionalities required on the nanotubes for a multimodal therapeutic strategy.

Multi‐Functionalized Carbon Nano‐onions as Imaging Probes for Cancer Cells

“…[5] Carbon-based nanomaterials, [6] such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), [7][8][9][10][11][12] carbon nanohorns (CNHs), [13] nanodiamonds (NDs), [14,15] fullerenes [16] and carbon nano-onions (CNOs), [17] have emerged as one of the most promising classes of scaffold nanomaterials for imaging, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. [18][19][20] Extensive biological studieso nd ifferent carbon nanomaterials have shown significant differences in the internalization pathwaya nd the biological activity in cancer cells for the different nanomaterial properties.T he chemical functionalization of the surfaceo ft hese materials can be achieved through av arietyo fd ifferentsynthetic strategies, [21][22][23] which allows for optimal surfaced istribution of the functionalg roups.D ifferent strategies have been reported for the multiple surface functionalization of CNTs [24] and NDs [25] by using diazoniums altsgenerated in situ. One approacht oi ntroduces urfacef unctionalities on these nanomaterials involves the chemical modification of their surfaces.…”

Magnetically and Near‐Infrared Light‐Powered Supramolecular Nanotransporters for the Remote Control of Enzymatic Reactions

“…This approach also allows the development of advanced and performing devices endowed of multifunctional modalities in different fields of applications, including biomedicine and nanomedicine. In the past decades, the continuous development of nanotechnology has brought innovations in biomedicine, leading to remarkable improvements in the fields of therapy, imaging, and diagnosis . The controlled delivery of bioactive agents and the local treatment of diseases represent a novel perspective in the development of efficient multifunctional therapeutics .…”

Radiolabeling, whole-body single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography imaging, and pharmacokinetics of carbon nanohorns in mice

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Their large available surface area, nanoscale dimensions, and possibility of multiple surface functionalization strategies make them unique materials with a lot of promise for the design of drug delivery systems. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] In addition, they offer high conversion efficiency of near-infrared radiation energy into heat, which enables them to be agents for photothermal therapy. [22][23][24] Determination of the long-term fate of these carbon nanomaterials after administration into a living body is crucially important to allow the possibility for clinical translation.…”