Carbon Nanotubes in Cancer Therapy and Drug Delivery

This chapter focuses on the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in cancer therapy and drug delivery. CNTs are potentially promising needle-like carriers of small drug molecules as well as macromolecules such as gene and protein. CNTs can be functionalized so that certain molecules are attached to their surfaces via covalent or noncovalent bonding. The needle-like shape of the CNTs enables them to perforate cellular membranes and transport the carried therapeutic molecules to the cellular components. This process is thought to take place via endocytosis. CNTs have exclusive properties that would make them appropriate in the medical field such as their ability to adsorb pathogenic microorganisms and conduct heat. Huge amount of medical research of CNTs has taken place in the area of anticancer therapy. This might be due to the potential toxicity of CNTs as well as the established safety of the vesicle nanocarriers. This chapter presents detailed discussion on CNTs as carriers for drug, gene, protein, and anticancer molecules. Role of CNTs as carriers of immunoactive compounds, proteins and genetic materials is also discussed. The chapter also elaborates use of CNTs for oral cancer therapy. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.