Multifunctional hybrid nanocarrier: Magnetic CNTs ensheathed with mesoporous silica for drug delivery and imaging system

Here we communicate the development of a novel multifunctional hybrid nanomaterial, magnetic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) ensheathed with mesoporous silica, for the simultaneous applications of drug delivery and imaging. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were first decorated onto the multiwalled CNTs, which was then layered with mesoporous silica (mSiO₂) to facilitate the loading of bioactive molecules to a large quantity while exerting magnetic properties. The hybrid nanomaterial showed a high mesoporosity due to the surface-layered mSiO₂, and excellent magnetic properties, including magnetic resonance imaging in vitro and in vivo. The mesoporous and magnetic hybrid nanocarriers showed high loading capacity for therapeutic molecules including drug gentamicin and protein cytochrome C. In particular, genetic molecule siRNA was effectively loaded and then released over a period of days to a week. Furthermore, the hybrid nanocarriers exhibited a high cell uptake rate through magnetism, while eliciting favorable biological efficacy within the cells. This novel hybrid multifunctional nanocarrier may be potentially applicable as drug delivery and imaging systems.