1. When polymers meet carbon nanostructures: expanding horizons in cancer therapy
- Author
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Francesca Iemma, Giuseppe Cirillo, Manuela Curcio, Anna Dubrovska, Florida Voli, Silke Hampel, Orazio Vittorio, Maria Kavallaris, Annafranca Farfalla, and Claudia Peitzsch
- Subjects
Materials science ,Polymers ,Cancer therapy ,Oxide ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Nanotechnology ,02 engineering and technology ,Carbon nanotube ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,law ,Neoplasms ,Drug Discovery ,Animals ,Humans ,Pharmacology ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Nanotubes, Carbon ,Polymer ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Carbon ,Nanostructures ,0104 chemical sciences ,Nanomedicine ,chemistry ,Drug delivery ,Molecular Medicine ,Functional polymers ,0210 nano-technology ,Hybrid material - Abstract
The development of hybrid materials, which combine inorganic with organic materials, is receiving increasing attention by researchers. As a consequence of carbon nanostructures high chemical versatility, they exhibit enormous potential for new highly engineered multifunctional nanotherapeutic agents for cancer therapy. Whereas many groups are working on drug delivery systems for chemotherapy, the use of carbon nanohybrids for radiotherapy is rarely applied. Thus, nanotechnology offers a wide range of solutions to overcome the current obstacles of conventional chemo- and/or radiotherapies. Within this review, the structure and properties of carbon nanostructures (carbon nanotubes, nanographene oxide) functionalized preferentially with different types of polymers (synthetic, natural) are discussed. In short, synthesis approaches, toxicity investigations and anticancer efficacy of different carbon nanohybrids are described.
- Published
- 2019
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