Glyconanosomes: Disk-shaped nanomaterials for the water solubilization and delivery of hydrophobic molecules

Herein, we describe the first report on a new class of disk-shaped and quite monodisperse water-soluble nanomaterials that we named glyconanosomes (GNS). GNSs were obtained by sliding out the cylindrical structures formed upon self-organization and photopolymerization of glycolipid 1 on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) sidewalls. GNSs present a sheltered hydrophobic inner cavity formed by the carbonated tails, surrounded by PEG and lactose moieties. The amphiphilic character of GNSs allows the water solubility of insoluble hydrophobic cargos such as a perylene-bisimide derivative, [60]fullerene, or the anti-carcinogenic drug camptothecin (CPT). GNS/C60 inclusion complexes are able to establish specific interactions between peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin and the lactose moiety surrounding the complexes, while CPT solubilized by GNS shows higher cytotoxicity toward MCF7-type breast cancer cells than CPT alone. Thus, GNS represents an attractive extension of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. © 2013 American Chemical Society.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant Nos. CTQ2010- 21755-CO2-01 and BFU2010-21339), the Junta de Andalucía (Grant Nos. P07-FQM-2774 and P08-CTS-04297). M.A. thanks the MAEC-AECID for a PhD scholarship. J.-J.C. thanks CSIC for the postdoctoral JAE DOC scholarship, and M.M.-B. thanks the Junta de Andalucía for predoctoral training grant.Peer Reviewe