Use of Carbon Nanotube for Drug Delivery

• US 20080193490A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Luna Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Luna Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Sagman, Uri, Rosenblum, Michael G., Wilson, Lon J., Hirsch, Andreas, Wilson, Stephen R.
• Application Number:
  US11/841,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20080193490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/400
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6949 inclusion complexes, e.g. clathrates, cavitates or fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0004 Screening or testing of compounds for diagnosis of disorders, assessment of conditions, e.g. renal clearance, gastric emptying, testing for diabetes, allergy, rheuma, pancreas functions
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0092 Hollow drug-filled fibres, tubes of the core-shell type, coated fibres, coated rods, microtubules or nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery

Abstract

Compositions and methods for administering a therapeutic agent to a mammal are disclosed. The compositions comprise either (i) vesicles comprising an amphiphilic substituted fullerene, wherein the therapeutic agent is present in the vesicle interior or between layers of the vesicle wall, (ii) a substituted fullerene, comprising a fullerene core and a functional moiety, wherein the therapeutic agent is associated with the substituted fullerene, or (iii) carbon nanotubes, wherein the therapeutic agent is associated with the carbon nanotubes.

Claims

1. A carbon nanotube composition, comprising:

a carbon nanotube, and

at least one therapeutic agent associated with the carbon nanotube.

2. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube has (10,10) structure.

3. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 1, wherein the therapeutic agent is an anti-cancer drug.

4. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 3, wherein the anti-cancer drug is selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and salts or esters thereof.

5. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 1, wherein the association between the at least one therapeutic agent and the carbon nanotube is selected from the group consisting of covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals attraction, and two or more thereof.

6. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube is derivatized with a functional group selected from the group consisting of biotin, biotin-containing moieties, antigen-binding moieties, and tissue-recognition moieties.

7. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 1, further comprising a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.

8. The carbon nanotube composition of claim 7, wherein the pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier is polyethylene glycol (PEG).

9. A method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a mammal, comprising

(i) administering to the mammal a carbon nanotube composition, comprising a carbon nanotube and at least one therapeutic agent associated with the carbon nanotube.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(ii) administering to the mammal an adjuvant which promotes disruption of the association between the carbon nanotube and the at least one therapeutic agent, thereby delivering the at least one therapeutic agent to the mammal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube has (10,10) structure.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the therapeutic agent is an anti-cancer drug.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the anti-cancer drug is selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and salts or esters thereof.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the association between the at least one therapeutic agent and the carbon nanotube is selected from the group consisting of covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals attraction, and two or more thereof.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube is derivatized with a functional group selected from the group consisting of biotin, biotin-containing moieties, antigen-binding moieties, and tissue-recognition moieties.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbon nanotube composition further comprises a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier is polyethylene glycol (PEG).