Abstract
Recent research has opened new alternatives to traditional chemotherapy treatments using nanomaterials as cytotoxic agents. Anti-cancer nanomedicines do not require specific target sites on key proteins or genes to kill cancer cells and have radically different mechanisms to interact with the living matter. Among 1D nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have the intrinsic ability to bind tubulin and interfere with microtubule dynamics, mimicking the effect of traditional cytotoxic microtubule-binding agents such as paclitaxel (taxol®). Here, we review the cytotoxic properties of MWCNTs and show a direct pro-apoptotic effect of these nanomaterials in vitro in different cancer cell lines and tumor cells obtained from surgical specimens. Understanding the bio-synthetic relationship between MWCNTs and microtubules could serve to improve these nanomaterials to be used as broad spectrum antineoplastic agents in combination to traditional microtubule-binding treatments, thus avoiding drug resistance mechanisms in cancer cells.
Keywords: MWCNTs, tubulin, microtubule dynamics, cell death, chemotherapy.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:Anti-Cancer Cytotoxic Effects of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
Volume: 21 Issue: 15
Author(s): Lorena Garcia-Hevia, Rafael Valiente, Jesus Gonzalez, Jose Luis Fernandez-Luna, Juan C. Villegas and Monica L. Fanarraga
Affiliation:
Keywords: MWCNTs, tubulin, microtubule dynamics, cell death, chemotherapy.
Abstract: Recent research has opened new alternatives to traditional chemotherapy treatments using nanomaterials as cytotoxic agents. Anti-cancer nanomedicines do not require specific target sites on key proteins or genes to kill cancer cells and have radically different mechanisms to interact with the living matter. Among 1D nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have the intrinsic ability to bind tubulin and interfere with microtubule dynamics, mimicking the effect of traditional cytotoxic microtubule-binding agents such as paclitaxel (taxol®). Here, we review the cytotoxic properties of MWCNTs and show a direct pro-apoptotic effect of these nanomaterials in vitro in different cancer cell lines and tumor cells obtained from surgical specimens. Understanding the bio-synthetic relationship between MWCNTs and microtubules could serve to improve these nanomaterials to be used as broad spectrum antineoplastic agents in combination to traditional microtubule-binding treatments, thus avoiding drug resistance mechanisms in cancer cells.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Garcia-Hevia Lorena, Valiente Rafael, Gonzalez Jesus, Fernandez-Luna Luis Jose, Villegas C. Juan and Fanarraga L. Monica, Anti-Cancer Cytotoxic Effects of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2015; 21 (15) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612821666150302144101
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612821666150302144101 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Natural Products Targeting Cancer Stem Cells: A Revisit
Current Medicinal Chemistry Targeted Tumor Immunotherapy: Are Vaccines the Future of Cancer Treatment?
Current Drug Therapy C-Myc Signaling Pathway in Treatment and Prevention of Brain Tumors
Current Cancer Drug Targets Erythropoietin: Cytoprotection in Vascular and Neuronal Cells
Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders Epigenetic Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Hypoxia in Cancer: Targets and Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design Clinical Trials with Oncolytic Adenovirus in China
Current Cancer Drug Targets Beta-adrenergic Signaling: Complexities and Therapeutic Relevance to Heart Failure
Current Signal Transduction Therapy Matrix Metalloproteinases: New Routes to the Use of MT1-MMP As A Therapeutic Target in Angiogenesis-Related Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Molecular Pathways Involved in Apoptotic Cell Death in the Injured Cochlea: Cues to Novel Therapeutic Strategies
Current Pharmaceutical Design Decorin Biology, Expression, Function and Therapy in the Cornea
Current Molecular Medicine Biological Interfacial Engineering for Metastatic Cancer Diagnosis and Intervention
Current Medicinal Chemistry Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging Sensor for Cathepsin Determination Based on Immobilized Cystatin
Protein & Peptide Letters Nanoparticle-mediated Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) in the Central Nervous System
Current Organic Chemistry MicroRNAs and Cancer; an Overview
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Targeting SREBP-1-driven Lipid Metabolism to Treat Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design 1,2,4-Triazine Analogs as Novel Class of Therapeutic Agents
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Heterocyclic Drug-polymer Conjugates for Cancer Targeted Drug Delivery
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Meet Our Editorial Board Member
Current Medicinal Chemistry ADAM19/Adamalysin 19 Structure, Function, and Role as a Putative Target in Tumors and Inflammatory Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Anti-cancer Research on Arnebiae radix-derived Naphthoquinone in Recent Five Years
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery