Nanotubes: A New Carrier for Drug Delivery Systems

ABSTRACT

Nanotubes (NTs), nanometer-scale hollow cylinders, are emerging as promising drug vehicles offering many advantages over spherical particles. This paper briefly highlights the recent performance of NTs in drug delivery. This discussion is by no means intended to be complete, an attempt is made to provide some illustrative examples on the basis and application of the NT delivery systems. The NT systems discussed includes silica NTs, self-assembling lipid NTs and polymer NTs as well as natural halloysite NT. Though it is still too early to establish NTs for clinical use, these novel carriers are undoubtedly interesting and deserve further investigation.