Carbon nanotubes-liposomes conjugate as a platform for drug delivery into cells

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are widely explored as carriers for drug delivery due to their facile transport through cellular membranes. However, the amount of loaded drug on a CNT is rather small. Liposomes, on the other hand, are employed as a carrier of a large amount of drug. The aim of this research is to develop a new drug delivery system, in which drug-loaded liposomes are covalently attached to CNT to form a CNT-liposomes conjugate (CLC). The advantage of this novel approach is the large amount of drug that can be delivered into cells by the CLC system, thus preventing potential adverse systemic effects of CNT when administered at high doses. This system is expected to provide versatile and controlled means for enhanced delivery of one or more agents stably associated with the liposomes.