Home > Press > Studied for clean energy, carbon nanotubes find new potential in anticancer drug delivery: Short carbon nanotubes in liposome membranes help fuse the liposomes and cancer cells to directly deliver a cancer-killing drug
Liposomes studded with carbon nanotubes and carrying a chemotherapy drug dock to the surface of a cancer cell. This causes the liposome to fuse to the cancer cell and deliver the drug, killing the cell. CREDIT Image courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Image created by EllaMaru Studios. |
Abstract:
The Science
Fundamental science often finds applications beyond its original focus. Previously, scientists found applications for small diameter carbon nanotube porins in energy technology. Nanotube porins are tubes with walls just molecules thick that act as pores through the walls of a thin membrane of liposomes, a type of tiny synthetic particle. Scientists have now assembled these nanotubes in a new way to deliver a cancer drug. The key is that the nanotubes pull the liposomes and the cancer cells together, allowing the membranes of the liposome and cancer to mix. This fusion process allows the drug to freely pass from the liposome to the cell. This results in very effective delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin, killing up to 90 percent of diseased cells.
The Impact
This new pathway to deliver a drug directly into a cell interior addresses a long-standing challenge for medicine. It provides a new platform for understanding how to precisely deliver a wide range of drugs to individual cells. This understanding will potentially enhance the arsenal of innovative drug carriers for treatment of difficult to cure diseases. Another potential application includes more efficient methods for administering vaccines.
Summary
Carbon nanotube pores that create and maintain water “wires” could allow for rapid transport of protons in next-generation, artificial, proton-conducting membranes. These membranes could lead to applications such as more efficient fuel cells for powering cars and homes. Scientists have now used reconfigured versions of these same carbon nanotubes to directly introduce the anticancer drug doxorubicin from spherical sacs of phospholipid molecules (liposomes) through the cell plasma membrane into its interior. Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many cancer patients but delivering these drugs into unhealthy cells is still quite difficult. Doctors have used liposomes to deliver therapeutic drugs to diseased cells for some time. However, this process usually follows an inefficient delivery pathway, and the drugs are often destroyed before they get to the cells. This pathway is bypassed when small diameter, carbon nanotube porins are incorporated into liposomes full of the anticancer drug. These porins allow fusion of liposome and cell membranes, permitting direct delivery of the drug. Computational simulations revealed that tiny dimers of carbon nanotubes embedded in the exterior of the liposome membrane first tether the liposome and cell membranes together very closely. Mixing of the membranes induced by such proximity causes the cells and liposomes to blend. This leads to direct delivery of the drug, killing most of the cancer cells.
Funding
This research was primarily supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Analysis of kinetics was supported by the National Science Foundation and computational work was supported by the Max Planck Society.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Michael Church
DOE/US Department of Energy
Office: 2028416299
Copyright © DOE/US Department of Energy
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related Links |
Related News Press |
News and information
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
Laboratories
A battery’s hopping ions remember where they’ve been: Seen in atomic detail, the seemingly smooth flow of ions through a battery’s electrolyte is surprisingly complicated February 16th, 2024
NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024
Three-pronged approach discerns qualities of quantum spin liquids November 17th, 2023
Cancer
Super-efficient laser light-induced detection of cancer cell-derived nanoparticles: Skipping ultracentrifugation, detection time reduced from hours to minutes! October 6th, 2023
The medicine of the future could be artificial life forms October 6th, 2023
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024
Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024
Possible Futures
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Nanotubes/Buckyballs/Fullerenes/Nanorods/Nanostrings
Tests find no free-standing nanotubes released from tire tread wear September 8th, 2023
Detection of bacteria and viruses with fluorescent nanotubes July 21st, 2023
Nanomedicine
High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
Discoveries
What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024
Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024
High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Announcements
What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Nanobiotechnology
High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
Premium Products | ||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||