A new family of folate-decorated and carbon nanotube-mediated drug delivery system: Synthesis and drug delivery response

We describe here a new family of folate-decorated and carbon nanotube (CNT)-mediated drug delivery system that involves uniquely combining carbon nanotubes with anticancer drug (doxorubicin) for controlled drug release, which is gaining significant attention. The synthesis of nanocarrier involved attachment of doxorubicin (DOX) to CNT surface via pi-pi stacking interaction, followed by encapsulation of CNTs with folic acid-conjugated chitosan. The pi-pi stacking interaction, ascribed as a non-covalent type of functionalization, allows controlled release of drug. Furthermore, encapsulation of CNTs enhances the stability of the nanocarrier in aqueous medium because of the hydrophilicity and cationic charge of chitosan. The unique integration of drug targeting and visualization has high potential to address the current challenges in cancer therapy. Thus, it is attractive to consider the possibility of investigating a drug delivery system that combines the biodegradable chitosan and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.