Halloysite nanotube-based drug delivery system for treating osteosarcoma

Our previous studies have shown that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) can be doped with a variety of bioactive agents (antibiotics, growth factors, chemotherapeutics) and the agents can be released in a sustained manner. In this study, anti-tumor drugs were loaded into HNTs and tested for their ability to inhibit/kill osteosarcoma cells. Results demonstrate that drugs released from the HNTs can inhibit proliferation or induce apoptosis in the osteosarcoma cells showing the potential application of doped HNTs as an anti-cancer drug delivery system.