title: Folate-conjugated PEG on single walled carbon nanotubes for targeting delivery of Doxorubicin to cancer cells.
abstract: A highly effective drug carrier is constructed by coating folic acid-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-FA) on single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in a facile non-covalent method. The anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), is further loaded on the surface of SWNTs at a very high loading efficiency, 149.3 ± 4.1%. The drug system (DOX/PEG-FA/SWNTs) exhibits excellent stability under neutral pH conditions such as serum, but dramatically releases DOX at reduced pH typical of the tumour environment and intracellular lysosomes and endosomes. With the help of FA, DOX/PEG-FA/SWNTs tend to selectively attach onto cancer cells and enter the lysosomes or endosomes by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This can greatly improve the pharmaceutical efficiency and reduce potential side effects.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China; State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lvye
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Lingjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; C552831:poly(ethylene glycol)-folate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005492:Folic Acid