Fullerene is the third allotrope found in elemental carbon. Any substance that consists of a single element of carbon and exists in a spherical, oval, or tubular structure can be called fullerene. Fullerene refers to a class of substances. Fullerene is similar to graphite in structure, but graphite has only six-membered rings, while fullerene may have five-membered rings. In 1985, Robert Curl and others produced C60. In 1989, experiments by German scientists Huffman and Kraetschmer confirmed the cage structure of C60. Since then, fullerenes discovered by physicists have been pushed to a new stage of research by the scientific community. The structure of fullerene is similar to that of the architect Fuller, so it is called fullerene.
Preliminary studies have shown that fullerenes have unique effects in anti-HIV, enzyme activity inhibition, DNA cleavage, and photodynamic therapy.
Application of Fullerene in Biomedical Field
Cancer treatment
Fullerene has excellent free radical scavenging ability and can be used to combat the adverse effects of free radicals generated by radiation therapy on cancer patients. Fullerene DF -1, a C60 fullerene derivative, has good water-soluble dendrimers. It partially counteracts the synthesis of reactive oxygen species and counteracts radiation-induced damage. Fullerenes can also be used in Photodynamic therapy (PDT) kills cancer cells. The covalently conjugated water-soluble C60 containing N-vinylpyrrolidone can generate a large amount of O2 under light.-Initiates DNA cleavage to kill cancer cells; Erbium-doped fullerene nanoparticles have the same effect as the clinical anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) Equivalent anti-cancer effect.
2. Anti-inflammatory treatment
Fullerene can inhibit type I hypersensitivity induced by IgE antibodies. Therefore, fullerene can treat a variety of allergic cell-dependent allergic inflammation. Fullerene achieves a stable anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the release of proinflammatory mediators by inhibiting mast cells and peripheral blood basophils.
Medical diagnosis
Many fluorene-containing fullerene derivatives can be used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Fullerene-conjugated liposomes that are rich in scavenger receptors of macrophages have specificity for oxidized phosphatidylcholine and oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and therefore can be used as markers for atherosclerotic plaques in mice. Imaging agent.
4. Drug / Gene Vector
Functionalized fullerenes can be used as effective nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery. Fullerenol-doxorubicin conjugates synthesized using carbamate linkers have shown good antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. Fullerene nanoparticles can be used to deliver cisplatin, reverse tumor resistance to drugs through endocytosis, and improve intracellular accumulation. Biocompatible and water-soluble fluorescent fullerene (C60-TEG-COOH) coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) -loaded drugs can achieve pH-dependent drug release, and can also detect nanometers based on their fluorescence Granular cellular uptake. Fullerene can be used as a porous absorbent. Used for oral administration to prevent degradation of hydrolytic and proteolytic enzymes and improve low membrane permeability. The delivery of epoxide with tetra (piperazinyl) fullerene has unique organ selectivity, increased gene expression, and does not show acute toxicity in the kidney. Fullerenes modified with amino acids can interact with human epidermal keratinocytes, providing a basis for further application of transdermal drug delivery systems. Fullerene is used as a vector for gene delivery, which can bind to DNA and move it into target cells. Compared with traditional non-viral transfection methods, fullerene-loaded gene transfection has higher efficiency and selectivity, and has no acute toxicity in liver and kidney tissues.