Layered double hydroxide nanomaterials as potential cellular drug delivery agents*
Zhi Ping Xu and G. Q. (Max) Lu
ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, School of Engineering and Australia Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Abstract: This paper briefly reviews the recent progress in using layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterials as cellular delivery agents. The advantages of LDHs as cellular delivery agents are summarized, and the processes of interaction/de-intercalation of anionic drugs (genes) into/from LDH nanoparticles are discussed. Then the cellular delivery of LDH-drug (gene) nanohybrids and subsequent intracellular processes are presumably proposed. At the end, some challenges and remarks for efficient delivery of drugs (genes) via LDH nanoparticles are provided to the best of our knowledge.
Keywords: layered double hydroxide (LDH); hydrotalcite; drug delivery; gene therapy; endocytosis; endosome escape.
*Paper based on a presentation at the 3rd IUPAC Workshop on New Directions in Chemistry - Workshop on Nanostructured Advanced Materials (WAM III), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 5-9 September 2005. Other presentations are published in this issue, pp. 1619-1801.