The Use of Carbon Nanotubes in Extraction of Drugs - Thesis Proposal Example

6 August Thesis Proposal: The use of carbon nanotubes in extraction of drugs Chapter1: Introduction Background of the Problem Breast cancer has been around as a life-threatening disease for several decades now. In spite of the rapid advancement in the field of science and technology, the same outdated, expensive, and lethargic treatment of breast cancer with the name of chemotherapy is used that is very demanding for the patient both physically and emotionally. The chemotherapeutic treatment of breast cancer is administered with the help of drugs. If some means is developed to enhance the action of these drugs, the chemotherapeutic treatment can be improved that will subsequently cause a reduction in the duration of treatment, an improvement in its effectiveness in causing the breast cancer to recede, and will reduce the pain and suffering on the part of the patient. Statement of the Problem Cancer in general and breast cancer in particular has been amongst the most significant health risks for the past few decades. According to World Health Organization (WHO), up to 519,000 deaths can be attributed to breast cancer annually all over the world (“Research Focus”). The most common victims of breast cancer are women as they “are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men” (“Breast Cancer”). In conventional practice, physicians administer chemotherapy to the patients depending upon the severity of cancer. However, the effectiveness of the drugs prescribed in chemotherapy is reduced because of adverse reactions, solubility, and lack of power to infiltrate the tumor. This imparts the need for a transmitter to improve the penetration and effectiveness of the drugs, and this role is played by CNTs. Objective of the Study The objective of this research is to collect the bioactive compounds within the CNTs so as to attack the tumor cells mitochondria selectively while making sure that the drugs remain preserved against inactivation that normally occurs as a result of the drug’s interaction with the environment. This is a goal yet unachieved and is a milestone in improving the effectiveness of the CNTs as drug-vehicles. Scope of the Study The scope of this study is limited to the study of advantages of using CNTs as transmitters of drugs and their aid in penetration into the cells. Significance of the Study Detection and infiltration of a single cell is a complicated procedure. Objective knowledge of the behavior of cells according to their exposure to specific conditions and stimuli is a pre-requisite of the development of such bioactive agents that can target them without causing adverse effects to show up. Side effects of drug administration during chemotherapy include but are not limited to nausea, fatigue, hair loss, and infertility (“What are the”). In this research study, an advanced device which can isolate some cells from among a range of cells, and improve the entrapment yields will be used. CNTs will be used to administer controlled release of drugs to the target cells so that none of the drug is wasted and the penetration of the drugs inside the cells is enhanced. This will improve the chemotherapeutic treatment of breast cancer. In addition, “[c]ontrolled multifunctionalisation of CNT will certainly open new perspectives in the field of medical applications of f-CNT” (Pastorin et al. 1184). Chapter 2: Literature Review Since the year 1991 when first report was published about the carbon nanotubes (CNTs), numerous applications and processes involving their use have surfaced that include but are not limited to the use of CNTs as nanoprobes, electrodes, field emitters, electrodes, electronic materials, and sensors (Ravelo-Pérez 2618). The ways in which the dimensions, topologies, and the structures integrate lend the CNTs unique chemical and physical properties. CNTs are being increasingly used for the extraction of drugs due to the simplicity and effectiveness of the process. “It is believed that carbon nanotubes might be a kind of unique adsorbent in [solid-phase extraction] SPE because of their dramatically hydrophobic surface” (Pan et al. 263). To extract the drugs with the help of CNTs, the sonication is used to fill the drug solution into the interior of CNTs that has been treated with acid. Pyrrole is introduced into the suspension that consists of Dex and CNTs, and at this stage, electropolymerization is conducted (Matranga). As a result of this, electric stimulation or diffusion occurs that causes the drug to escape from the CNTs into the surrounding area. The favorable size, mechanical strength, and optical properties of CNTs make them a very useful drug-vehicle. (Gangupomu and Capaldi) noticed that the rupture force on the lipid bilayer membranes is directly proportional to the speed of the CNTs. (Sayana) conducted a research to determine the efficiency of the novel configuration of CNTs in targeting the cancer stem cells selectively, and found them effective in destroying those cells. Chapter 3: Research Methodology Instrumentation and Data Analysis The research team will administer controlled release of the drugs to penetrate the tumor with the help of delivery devices. “CNTs usually have a diameter in the range comprized within a tenth to tens nanometers and a length of up to centimeters” (Constantin 524). The delivery devices used in the research will be based on CNTs whose width will be about 10 nanometers and the length will be 50 micrometers, which is a size suitable to store and transfer the drugs in small quantities to the target site. These CNTs conduct electricity and it is possible to chemically functionalize them to enhance the drug’s interaction with the CNTs. To achieve this purpose, the research team will administer a series of CNTs. Assumptions and Limitations The CNTs start to degrade when they are exposed to oxygen, so they might have to be passivated using polymers to prolong their lifetime. There are also certain issues of reliability associated with the CNTs when they have to be operated in high temperatures or electric fields. The semiconducting and metallic CNTs exhibit avalanche and joule breakdowns respectively. Besides, owing to their thin and long microscopic structure, CNTs can be inhaled, so intense care needs to be exercised while working with CNTs. Research Planning and Schedule The research will commence in September 2012. The various stages and the expected durations they may take to be completed are shown in Table 1.1. Activity Duration Literature Review Sep, 2012 to Nov, 2012 Research Methodology Dec, 2012 to Mar, 2013 Analysis Apr, 2013 Report Writing May 2013 to June 2013 Thesis Defense July 2013 Chapter 4: Expected Findings and Summary Breast cancer is a big threat to life of the victims all over the world. The conventional chemotherapeutic treatment of the breast cancer is not very effective because of the issues associated with the drug including its inactivity and tendency to exhibit adverse reaction. Use of a transmitter of the caliber of a CNT can improve the process’s efficiency and target the tumors so that the drugs can show greater penetration inside them. By using a series of CNTs, the research team will demonstrate that the drug delivery systems based on CNTs are much better and effective as compared to the standard delivery systems as the amount of drug that is generated with the electrical stimulation is more than without the electrical stimulation, as well as the lifetime of the device of drug transfer is increased. When the released drug will be checked in the live cell cultures for bioactivity, an improvement in the lifetimes will be noticed since the drug will be transferred with the help of the CNT devices. This research will produce useful results that would help make the chemotherapeutic treatment of the breast cancer better and more effective. The knowledge created will be worth publishing in high-impact factor journals. Works Cited “Breast Cancer.” PubMed Health. 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Constantin, Bele. “Carbon Nanotubes as a New Solid Phase Extraction Sorbent for Analysis of Environmental Pollutants.” n.d. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Gangupomu, Vamshi K., and Capaldi, Franco M. “Interactions of Carbon Nanotube with Lipid Bilayer Membranes.” Journal of Nanomaterials. 2011. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Matranga, Christopher. “New Technologies Bolster Function of Prosthetic Limbs.” NETL’s R&D Newsletter. Issue 23. Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Pan, Chensong; Xu, Songyun; Zou, Hanfa; Guo, Zhong; Zhang, Yu; and Guo, Baochuan. “Carbon Nanotubes as Adsorbent of Solid-Phase Extraction and Matrix for Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry.” American Society for Mass Spectrometry. 16. (2005): 263–270. Pastorin, Giorgia; Wu, Wei; Wieckowski, Se´bastien; Briand, Jean-Paul; Kostarelos, Kostas; Prato, Maurizio; and Bianco, Alberto. “Double functionalisation of carbon nanotubes for multimodal drug delivery.” The Royal Society of Chemistry. (2006): 1182-1184. Ravelo-Pérez, Lidia M.; Herrera-Herrera, Antonio V.; Hernández-Borges, Javier; and Rodríguez- Delgado, Miguel A. “Carbon nanotubes: Solid-phase extraction.” Journal of Chromatography A. 1217. (2010): 2618–2641. “Research Focus.” Department of Pharmacy: University of Singapore. 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Sayana, Anin. “A Novel Configuration of Carbon Nanotubes to Selectively Target Chemotherapy-Resistant Cancer Stem Cells.” California State Science Fair. 2012. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . “What are the Side Effects of Chemotherapy?” 26 May 2008. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. . Read More