Functionalized carbon nanotubes (F-CNTs): Promising delivery system for targeting cancer cells
Md. Akhlaquer Rahman*, Ranjit K Harwansh
*College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif - 21974, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura - 281406, India.
* Presenting Author
Cancer is one of the most leading cause of death worldwide, characterized by uncontrolled cell division and spread to other parts of the body causing metastasis. Treatment of cancer includes both chemotherapy and radiation therapy that utilizes the drugs and radiations, respectively. The available reports suggesting the use of nanoparticles in treatment of cancer due to declared properties like smaller particle size, large surface area as well as surface functionalization capacity that leads to increase in the internalization of therapeutics into cancer cells. Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have gained popularity for successful delivery of drugs, genetic and other biomaterials, owing to their excellent surface properties.
The hollow interior surface offers an enormous cargo-carrying capacity for drug delivery; and their exteriors surface are readily functionalized to warrant tailoring of solubility and biological recognition. Despite their immense capabilities as drug delivery system, there use is constrained primarily because of its serious toxicity. However, surface functionalization capacity of CNTs permits the attachment of guest molecules which helps in increasing the biocompatibility of these nanocarriers. CNTs can be tailored with peptides and amino acids, organic molecules, carbohydrates, natural and synthetic polymers for cancer cell targeting and tumor accumulation. Hence, this novel nanocarrier offered a new opportunity for the formulation scientists to improve the potential use of therapeutics for treatment of cancer.
Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, Toxicity, Biocompatibility, Cellular uptake, Tumor accumulation, Surface functionalization
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