Ligand Mediated Carbon Nanotubes Based Delivery of an Anticancer Agent

The proposed work envisages the development of folate-conjugated irinotecan hydrochloride loaded carbon nanotubes. These systems have the advantage of direct penetration to the cells and folate-conjugation would further provide them with targeting ability. Rationale of selecting folate conjugated is their selective localization in the vicinity of folate receptor and its easy amino conjugation to carbon nanotubes. Irinotecan hydrochloride was selected as model drug due to its aqueous solubility and high probability of drug loading in carbon nanotubes. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were purified and functionalized with folic acid using 1-ethyl-3-(-3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-Hydroxysuccinimide. After functionalization, various characterization parameters like dispersion characteristics, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope analysis, particle size determination and zeta potential were performed. After conjugation of folic acid with multi-walled carbon nanotubes, drug was loaded and then characterized for loading efficiency and in vitro drug release. Sustained-release behavior was an important factor for drug delivery systems and prepared carbon nanotubes depicted the same during in vitro drug release studies. The drug loading efficiency of carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes was higher than purified multi-walled carbon nanotubes and folate conjugated. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes suggested comparatively less entrapment of drug due to its high dispersity and steric hindrance. Thus, the folate-conjugated multi-walled carbon nanotubes prepared in this experiment shows great potential as an advanced drug delivery system and have tremendous useful properties not seen in any other delivery module.