Use of buckysome or carbon nanotube for drug delivery

Abstract

Compositions and methods for administering a therapeutic agent to a mammal are disclosed. The compositions comprise either (i) vesicles comprising an amphiphilic substituted fullerene, wherein the therapeutic agent is present in the vesicle interior or between layers of the vesicle wall, (ii) a substituted fullerene, comprising a fullerene core and a functional moiety, wherein the therapeutic agent is associated with the substituted fullerene, or (iii) carbon nanotubes, wherein the therapeutic agent is covalently bonded to the carbon nanotubes.

1 - 34 . (canceled)  
     
     
         35 . A substituted fullerene, comprising: 
 a fullerene moiety comprising n carbon atoms, wherein n is an integer and 60≦n≦240, and    a functional group selected from the group consisting of biotin-containing moieties, antigen-binding moieties, and tissue-recognition moieties.    
     
     
         36 . The substituted fullerene of  claim 35 , comprising structure I:  
         (B) b —C n -(A) a    (I)  wherein C n  is a fullerene moiety comprising n carbon atoms, wherein n is an integer and 60≦n≦240;    B is an organic moiety comprising from 1 to about 40 polar headgroup moieties;    b is an integer and 1≦b≦5;    each B is covalently bonded to the C n  through 1 or 2 carbon-carbon, carbon-oxygen, or carbon-nitrogen bonds;    A is an organic moiety comprising a terminus proximal to the C n  and one or more termini distal to the C n , wherein the termini distal to the C n  each comprise —C x H y , wherein x is an integer and8≦x≦24, and y is an integer and 1≦y≦2x+1;    a is an integer, 1≦a≦5;    2≦b+a≦6; and    each A is covalently bonded to the C n  through 1 or 2 carbon-carbon, carbon-oxygen, or carbon-nitrogen bonds,    wherein the functional group is covalently linked to a B group.    
     
     
         37 . The substituted fullerene of  claim 36 , wherein B comprises 18 polar headgroup moieties; A comprises two termini distal to the C n ; x=12; y=25; b=1; and a=5.  
     
     
         38 . The substituted fullerene of  claim 37 , comprising structure II:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein X′ is >C(C(═O)OC 3 H 6 C(═O)NHC(C 2 H 4 C(═O)NHC(C 2 H 4 C(═O)OH) 3 ) 3 ) 2  or a functional-group substituted >C(C(═O)OC 3 H 6 C(═O)NHC(C 2 H 4 C(═O)NHC(C 2 H 4 C(═O)OH) 3 ) 3 ) 2 , and each X is >C(C(═O)O(CH 2 ) 11 CH 3 ) 2 .  
       
     
     
         39 . The substituted fullerene of  claim 35 , further comprising a therapeutic moiety associated with the fullerene moiety.  
     
     
         40 . The substituted fullerene of  claim 39 , wherein the therapeutic moiety is an anti-cancer drug.  
     
     
         41 . A method of administering a therapeutic agent to a mammal, comprising: 
 (i) administering a solution comprising (a) a substituted fullerene comprising (a-i) a fullerene moiety comprising n carbon atoms, wherein n is an integer and 60≦n≦240, and (a-ii) a functional group selected from the group consisting of biotin-containing moieties, antigen-binding moieties, and tissue-recognition moieties, and (b) a pharmaceutically effective amount of the therapeutic agent, wherein the therapeutic agent is associated with the substituted fullerene.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the therapeutic agent is an anti-cancer drug.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising 
 administering an adjuvant to the mammal, wherein the adjuvant facilitates dissociation of the therapeutic agent from the substituted fullerene.    
     
     
         44 . (canceled)