Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 20.3
The perpendicular positioning of MWNTs (pointed at by the
white arrows) during internalization into HeLa cells suggests
that cellular uptake of CNTs by the cells was similar to that
of nanoneedles.
From
[4]
.
nanotubes since those which are shorter than 1 μm were easier to internalize into cells and the process
of cellular uptake was reported to be not via endocytosis
[11]
.
20.3
CNTS AS CARRIERS FOR DRUG, GENE, AND PROTEIN
CNTs have been recently researched as potentially applicable nanocarriers for the delivery of drug,
gene, and protein. Most of the research on CNTs has focused on their potential in delivering anti-
cancer agents. This might be attributed to their unique needle-like shapes which enable them to be
functionalized in order to adsorb or covalently link to a wide variety of therapeutic materials and
internalize them into the target cell. Moreover, the well-established safety of vesicle carriers, particu-
larly liposomes, has discouraged many researchers from investigating the potential of CNTs in the
treatment of many diseases other than cancer.
20.3.1
CNTs as Carriers of Anticancer Molecules
It is well known that cancer cells overexpress folic acid (FA) receptors. Therefore, a lot of research-
ers have designed nanocarriers with engineered surfaces to which FA derivatives can be attached.
