title: Single walled carbon nanotubes as drug delivery vehicles: targeting doxorubicin to tumors.
abstract: Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are emerging as promising delivery vehicles for cancer diagnostics and chemotherapies due to their unique properties, including, remarkable cell membrane penetrability, high drug-carrying capacities, pH-dependent therapeutic unloading, prolonged circulating times and intrinsic fluorescent, photothermal, photoacoustic and Raman properties. In this leading opinion paper, we systemically discuss and evaluate the relationship of the biological safety of SWNTs with their physicochemical properties such as their length, purity, agglomeration state, concentration and surface functionalization. Other relevant issues, including the cellular uptake mechanism, biodistribution and metabolism of SWNTs are also reviewed. The design and preparation of SWNT-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) and their pharmacokinetic, cancer targeting and therapeutic properties both in vitro and in vivo are highlighted. Future opportunities and challenges of SWNT-based DDSs are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
authors.forename: Lingjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xiaoke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Zhaofu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dyson
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008422:Materials Testing; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D012666:Semiconductors; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011134:Polysaccharides; D004317:Doxorubicin