A large-inner-diameter multi-walled carbon nanotube-based dual-drug delivery system with pH-sensitive release properties

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine Vol. 28; no. 7; p. 110
• Main Authors: Yang, Tao, Wu, Zhenzhen, Wang, Pingting, Mu, Tingting, Qin, Han, Zhu, Zhimin, Wang, Jian, Sui, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - pharmacology; Anticancer properties; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antitumor activity; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical materials; Blocking; Cancer; Carbon; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemotherapy; Cisplatin; Cisplatin - pharmacology; Composites; Covalence; Delivery Systems; Doxorubicin; Doxorubicin - pharmacology; Drug Carriers; Drug delivery; Drug Delivery Systems; Drugs; Encapsulation; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Folic acid; Glass; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Materials Science; MCF-7 Cells; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Natural Materials; pH effects; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylenes; Polymer Sciences; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Surface chemistry; Surfaces and Interfaces; Synergistic effect; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0957-4530; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-017-5920-9

A novel dual-drug delivery system (DDDS) for cancer chemotherapy has been established by employing highly purified and mildly oxidized large-inner-diameter multi-walled carbon nanotubes (LID-MWCNTs) as the vector. The LID-MWCNTs were modified with the antitumor drugs, cisplatin (CDDP) and doxorubicin (DOX). CDDP was encapsulated inside the nanotube vectors by a wet-chemical approach while DOX was attached to the external surfaces through non-covalently interaction. The loading efficiencies of CDDP and DOX were as high as 84.56 and 192.67%, respectively. Notably, after CDDP was encapsulated inside the nanotubes, a three-level blocking strategy, which included polyethylene glycol, folic acid and DOX, was employed to block the CDDP exits at different levels. The pH-sensitive release profile of CDDP was demonstrated using a modified characterization method, as well as that of DOX. Finally, the anticancer activity of the DDDS on MCF-7 cells was tested and a synergistic effect was recorded. This work is part of our LID-MWCNTs based drug delivery system studies, and provides a basis for developing a novel comprehensive antitumor treatment that combines chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. Graphical Abstract