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Stimuli-Responsive and Receptor-Targeted Carbon Nanotubes for Multimodal Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis
Sourabh Tapekar1, Anish Dhuri1, Priti Paul1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer versatile nanocarrier potential for targeted cancer therapy. Functionalized CNTs enhance drug delivery, diagnostics, and multimodal treatments, improving therapeutic precision and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique physicochemical properties making them promising for biomedical applications.
- Their adaptable surfaces allow functionalization for drug delivery, imaging, and gene therapy.
- Targeted delivery systems are crucial for improving cancer treatment efficacy and reducing side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structural characteristics and nanocarrier applications of CNTs in targeted anticancer drug delivery.
- To highlight advancements in receptor-targeted and stimuli-responsive CNT systems for cancer diagnostics and treatment.
- To evaluate various CNT-enabled treatment modalities and their associated cytotoxic effects.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on carbon nanotube functionalization and biomedical applications.
- Analysis of CNT structural properties relevant to nanocarrier design.
- Evaluation of targeted delivery strategies including receptor-targeting and stimuli-responsive systems.
- Assessment of different CNT-based therapeutic modalities (chemotherapy, PTT, PDT, radiotherapy, biosensing).
Main Results:
- CNTs can be functionalized with drugs, imaging agents, and siRNA to enhance therapeutic effectiveness and biocompatibility.
- Surface modifications with peptides, ligands, carbohydrates, or polymers enable targeted tumor delivery and retention.
- Stimuli-responsive CNT systems (endogenous and exogenous) improve therapeutic precision.
- CNT-based systems show potential across multiple cancer treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, and radiotherapy.
Conclusions:
- Carbon nanotubes are highly versatile nanocarriers for advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- Functionalized and stimuli-responsive CNT systems offer improved targeting and therapeutic efficacy.
- CNT-enabled multimodal therapies represent a promising frontier in oncology, requiring careful evaluation of cytotoxic effects.
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