Multifunctional Fullerene- And Metallofullerene-Based Nanobiomaterials

Abstract

Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials suitable for applications in the¯eld of biology and medicine. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, carbon-based nanomaterials such as fullerenes, metallofullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene have been widely investigated as multifunctional materials for applications in tissue engineering, molecular imaging, therapeutics, drug delivery and biosensing. In this review, we focus on the multifunctional capabilities of fullerenes and metallofullerenes for diagnosis and therapy. Speci¯cally, we review recent advances toward the development of fullerene-and metallofullerene-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray imaging contrast agents, drug and gene delivery vehicles, and photodynamic therapy agents. We also discuss in vitro and in vivo toxicity, and biocompatibility issues associated with the use of fullerenes and metallofullerenes for biomedical applications.

Biotransport kinetics and intratumoral biodistribution of malonodiserinolamide-derivatized [60]fullerene in a murine model of breast adenocarcinoma

“…On the following day the cells (~10 6 ) were pelleted, washed twice in phosphate-buffered saline, and suspended in 2 mL of 1% Triton X-100 in glass vial, homogenized by repeated uptake into a pipette tip and then sonicated using bath sonicator for 20 min. After centrifugation at 10,000× g for 20 min at RT, the supernatant was subjected to 0.05 mm filtration using 0.05 mm Anotop 10 Plus syringe filter (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO, USA), and resulting filtrate analyzed by HPLC.…”

“…For .25 years, derivatives of this class of NP have served as a platform for a variety of biomedical applications including X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, [3][4][5][6] drug delivery, [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] antioxidant neuroprotection,…”

Graphene nanoribbons elicit cell specific uptake and delivery via activation of epidermal growth factor receptor enhanced by human papillomavirus E5 protein

“…There is now a large body of work that documents the tremendous progress in research and development of drug delivery agents [1–3]. A variety of micro- and nano-particles have been explored as delivery systems, including particles synthesized from carbon (fullerenes, metallofullerenes, carbon nanotubes and recently graphene[4–7]), ceramics, polymers, lipids, or metals and formed in a variety of configurations (i.e., spheres, tubes, branched structures, and shells)[8]. These systems serve as the scaffold onto which the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is covalently or non-covalently loaded.…”

Synthesis, characterization, in vitro phantom imaging, and cytotoxicity of a novel graphene-based multimodal magnetic resonance imaging-X-ray computed tomography contrast agent

“…17–20 However, there are no reports on the development of multimodal MRI-CT contrast agents using these carbon nanomaterials. Recently, water-solubilized graphene nanoparticles, due to their unique nanoscopic properties, have demonstrated great potential for a variety of in vivo biomedical applications.…”