Polyelectrolyte/Gold Nanoparticle Nanotubes Incorporating Doxorubicin-Loaded Liposomes.

Anticancer agent doxorubicin-loaded liposomes (DoxLs) were drawn spontaneously into nanotubes comprising multilayers of polyelectrolytes and gold nanoparticles (PAuNTs). We describe a unique structure of PAuNTs incorporating DoxLs (DoxL-PAuNT). The number of DoxLs adsorbed on the tube interior surface was ascertained as 2.4×103 . Heating stimuli engendered gel-liquid crystal phase transition of DoxL in the capillary, subsequently inducing efficient release of Dox without structural changes of the tubule or liposome. Furthermore, antitumor activity of the DoxL-PAuNTs on cancer cells was elucidated.