A novel single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) functionalization agent facilitating in vivo combined chemo/thermo therapy
A novel single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) functionalization agent facilitating in vivo combined chemo/thermo therapy
复制标题
一种新型单壁碳纳米管（SWCNT）功能化剂，促进体内联合化疗/热疗
作者：
Zhang Liwen;Rong Pengfei;Chen Minglong;Gao Shi;Zhu Lei
碳纳米管（CNTs）由于其独特的形状和性质，在生物技术和生物医学领域显示出了诱人的应用前景。然而，未改性的CNT易于聚集的事实阻碍了CNT在生理条件下的应用。在这项研究中，我们发现，伊文思蓝（EB）的单壁碳纳米管（SWCNT）重量的1/5能够分散SWCNT以及促进SWCNT功能化。考虑到EB和白蛋白之间的结合，产生的产物（SWCNT/EB）在生理条件下表现出数周的极端稳定性，并且可以通过简单地将SWCNT/EB与基于白蛋白的药物混合来赋予其治疗能力。具体地，所形成的SWCNT/EB/白蛋白/PTX纳米复合物表现出强的近红外（NIR）吸收，并且可以用作用于化学/热治疗目的的试剂。我们的体内实验结果表明，SWCNT/EB/白蛋白/PTX在被施用到MDA-MB-435肿瘤中后，将通过化疗和光热疗法有效地消融肿瘤。与单独的化疗或光热治疗相比，这种联合治疗策略在抑制肿瘤生长方面提供了显著的治疗效果。总的来说，我们通过EB分散单壁碳纳米管的策略可以用作在白蛋白的帮助下携带其他药物或功能基因治疗疾病的平台。本研究为单壁碳纳米管的表面改性开辟了新的机会，用于未来的临床疾病治疗。
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown intriguing applications in biotechnological and biomedical fields due to their unique shape and properties. However, the fact that unmodified CNTs are prone to aggregation, stunts CNTs applications under physiological conditions. In this research, we found that as little as 1/5th the single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) weight of Evans Blue (EB) is capable of dispersing SWCNT as well as facilitating SWCNT functionalization. In view of the binding between EB and albumin, the yielding product (SWCNT/EB) demonstrated extreme stability for weeks under physiological conditions and it can be endowed with a therapeutic ability by simply mixing SWCNT/EB with an albumin based drug. Specifically, the formed SWCNT/EB/albumin/PTX nanocomplex exhibits strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance, and can serve as an agent for chemo/thermal therapeutic purposes. Our in vivo result reveals that SWCNT/EB/albumin/PTX after being administered into the MDA-MB-435 tumor would effectively ablate the tumor by chemo and photothermal therapy. Such a combined treatment strategy provides remarkable therapeutic outcomes in restraining tumor growth compared to chemo or photothermal therapy alone. Overall, our strategy of dispersing SWCNTs by EB can be used as a platform for carrying other drugs or functional genes with the aid of albumin to treat diseases. The present study opens new opportunities in surface modification of SWCNTs for future clinical disease treatment.