Carbon nanotube bottles for incorporation, release and enhanced cytotoxic effect of cisplatin

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 1625 - 1634
• Main Authors: Li, Jian, Yap, Siew Qi, Yoong, Sia Lee, Nayak, Tapas Ranjan, Chandra, Gary Wiratama, Ang, Wee Han, Panczyk, Tomasz, Ramaprabhu, Sundara, Vashist, Sandeep Kumar, Sheu, Fwu-Shan, Tan, Aaron, Pastorin, Giorgia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bottles; Cancer; Carbon; Carbon nanotubes; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Drug delivery systems; Drugs; Encapsulation; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; General and physical chemistry; Leaves; Materials science; Physical and chemical studies. Granulometry. Electrokinetic phenomena; Physics; Specific materials; Encapsulation; Drugs; Gold; Capping; Incorporation; Stability; Carbon nanotubes; Permeability; Carbon; Nanoparticles; Multiwalled nanotube; Transition elements; Environment; Structure; Protection; Release
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2011.11.043

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as promising drug delivery systems particularly for cancer therapy, due to their abilities to overcome some of the challenges faced by cancer treatment, namely non-specificity, poor permeability into tumour tissues, and poor stability of anticancer drugs. Encapsulation of anticancer agents inside CNTs provides protection from external deactivating agents. However, the open ends of the CNTs leave the encapsulated drugs exposed to the environment and eventually their uncontrolled release before reaching the desired target. In this study, we report the successful encapsulation of cisplatin, a FDA-approved chemotherapeutic drug, into multi-walled carbon nanotubes and the capping at the ends with functionalised gold nanoparticles to achieve a “carbon nanotube bottle” structure. In this proof-of-concept study, these caps did not prevent the encapsulation of drug in the inner space of CNTs; on the contrary, we achieved higher drug loading inside the nanotubes in comparison with data reported in literature. In addition, we demonstrated that encapsulated cisplatin could be delivered in living cells under physiological conditions to exert its pharmacological action.