PHYS 711 |
| The biological applications of carbon nanotubes have been attracting a lot of attentions recently. The research in our lab in the past few years shows that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are able to deliver many biological molecules including protein, DNA and small interfering RNA (siRNA) into cells in vitro via endocytosis pathway. Supramolecular chemistry approach can be applied to pre-functionalized SWNTs, to afford ultra-high drug loading on these SWNTs for the delivery of chemotherapy drugs to suppress tumor growth in vivo. With all the success in the in vitro studies, we have moved to the in vivo stage. In vivo biodistribution and tumor targeting studies have been performed with radio-labeled SWNTs. The efficient tumor targeting ability of our modified SWNTs is very promising for cancer therapy applications. Next, we have studied the long-term biodistribution of SWNTs in mice directly by ex-vivo Raman spectroscopy method without any label and found that the blood circulation and body excretion behaviors of SWNTs are highly dependent on their surface chemistry. No obvious toxic effect is seen in mice injected with SWNTs up to six months, and excretion of nanotubes does occur. Those results warrant the safe use of carbon nanotubes in vivo. |
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Nanostructured Materials
1:20 PM-5:00 PM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 338, Oral
Division of Physical Chemistry |