Drug Delivery: Silica Nanopills for Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery (Small 36/2015)

Tumour-targeting silica microtubes are produced by L. F. Marsal, N. H. Voelcker, and co-workers with precise control over shape and size by combining lithography and electrochemical etching. On page 4626, this particular architecture enables the differential functionalization of internal and external surfaces. The hollow microtube core is loaded with a hydrophobic anticancer drug, rendering the tubes nanopills; an antibody is conjugated to the external surface to recognise receptors on a cancer cell. Results demonstrate the selective killing of neuroblastoma cells, representing a step forward in the targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs.