Abstract
Currently cancer treatment is in large part non-specific with respect to treatment. Medication is often harsh on patients, whereby they suffer several undesired side effects as a result. Carbon-based nanoparticles have attracted attention in recent years due to their ability to act as a platform for the attachment of several drugs and/or ligands. Relatively simple models are often used in cancer research, wherein carbon nanoparticles are conjugated to a ligand that is specific to an overexpressed receptor for imaging and drug delivery in cancer treatment. These carbon nanoparticles confer unique properties to the imaging or delivery vehicle due to their nontoxic nature and their high fluorescence qualities. Chief among the ongoing research within carbon-based nanoparticles emerge carbon dots (C-dots) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In this review, the aforementioned carbon nanoparticles will be discussed in their use within doxorubicin and gemcitabine based drug delivery vehicles, as well as the ligand-mediated receptor specific targeted therapy. Further directions of research in current field are also discussed.
Highlights
Carbon dots (C-dots) are emerging nanomaterials with incredible versatility
Cancer is becoming an increasingly prominent forefront of research and to this end carbon nanoparticles can serve as a powerful system for drug delivery
Carbon-based nanoparticles have been shown to be an effective means towards a drug delivery system in the effort to combat cancer
Summary
Carbon dots (C-dots) are emerging nanomaterials with incredible versatility. First discovered in 2004 by Scrivens and co-workers [1], C-dots have had far reaching implications for chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, and several other fields [2]. By targeting cancer cells with the aid of novel nanomaterials, it is expected that overall drug dosages can be lowered due to higher drug efficacy, causing decreased side effects and increased patient quality of life [22] To this end C-dots are nontoxic and can inhibit human insulin fibrillation [13]. Several papers have been published wherein an overexpressed receptor in a specific cancer cells is chosen to be covalently attached to C-dots alongside an anticancer drug, which constitutes a basic nano-delivery system These kinds of systems can accumulate anti-tumor agents at the tumor sites due to enhanced permeability and retention effect [2,28,29]. A brief overview will be given, followed by challenges faced, possible areas of interest, and overall outlook of the field
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