Carbon Nanotubes: Smart Drug/Gene Delivery Carriers

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique properties like high surface area, conductivity, and biocompatibility.
• These properties make them suitable for applications in drug and gene delivery systems.
• CNTs can be functionalized for targeted delivery and therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of carbon nanotubes as drug and gene delivery carriers.
• To highlight the applications of CNTs in phototherapy and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents.
• To discuss the challenges and future research directions in CNT-based nanomedicine.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing in vivo and in vitro studies on CNTs for medical applications.
• Analysis of CNTs' properties and their role in drug and gene delivery mechanisms.
• Examination of research on CNTs' use in anticancer therapy, anti-inflammatory treatments, and gene therapy.

Main Results:

• CNTs effectively deliver anticancer drugs (e.g., docetaxel, doxorubicin) and genes (e.g., siRNA, miRNA).
• Their optical properties enable applications in phototherapy.
• CNTs are taken up by various cell types via multiple mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• CNTs offer significant potential for advanced drug and gene delivery systems.
• Addressing nanotoxicology and environmental concerns is crucial for clinical translation.
• Further research is needed to overcome challenges and advance CNT medicine.