Issue 44, 2020

Supramolecular nanomotors with “pH taxis” for active drug delivery in the tumor microenvironment

Abstract

Self-propelled nanomotors demonstrating autonomous motion in biologically relevant fuel are currently being studied to overcome the use of external physical or chemical stimuli as precise delivery agents. In this context, the tumor microenvironment (TME) with slightly acidic pH is used for developing cargo-releasing artificial systems triggered by such conditions. However, there is still a need for fabrication of smart nanomotors that can sense the acidic pH prevalent in the TME rather than using an external fuel source for selective activation and thereafter migrating towards tumors for active drug delivery. Herein, supramolecular assembly-based nanomotors are fabricated by in-situ grown CaCO3 nanoparticles and studied for their motility behaviour in endogenously generated acidic pH by HeLa cells and further exploited as an active delivery vehicle for DOX molecules to the cells for their anticancer efficacy. The nanomotors are activated in slightly acidic pH showcasing “pH taxis” towards tumor cells without the need for any sophisticated/complicated technologies or an external fuel source for active and targeted delivery of drugs.

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular nanomotors with “pH taxis” for active drug delivery in the tumor microenvironment

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
10 Jun 2020
Accepted
22 Oct 2020
First published
22 Oct 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 22495-22501

Supramolecular nanomotors with “pH taxis” for active drug delivery in the tumor microenvironment

M. Mathesh, J. Sun, F. van der Sandt and D. A. Wilson, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 22495 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR04415F

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