M.Sc. / The statistical proof that most forms of cancer metastasize to bone has redirected the focus of secondary bone cancer to probe into the most efficient forms of treatment. Due to the fact that secondary bone cancer delocalizes to bone, chemotherapy has been established as an efficient form of treatment. Bisphosphonates is one chemotherapeutic agent that has shown a great potency in treating bone related sicknesses. Bisphosphonates are analogues of pyrophosphates that are characterized by the presence of two P-C bonds. They have a very high affinity for bone undergoing renewal and are thus able to inhibit tumour induced resorption. Bisphosphonates’ efficiency is however reduced due to that they have a low molecular weight hence are excreted before reaching targeted sites. In this study, an attempt to improve the efficiency was done by providing carbon nanotubes (which were synthesized in our laboratories) as delivery systems. By conjugating bisphosphonates onto carbon nanotubes the molecular weight was increased. Bisphosphonates conjugated carbon nanotubes have been radiolabelled to increase their anticancer activity. By exploiting the Enhanced Permeability Retention (EPR) effect and the high energy electrons from the radioisotope (³²P), it is anticipated that bone metastasis will be successfully treated by the ³²P labelled bisphosphonates carbon nanotube conjugates. Successful synthesis of bisphosphonates conjugated carbon nanotubes was confirmed by several characterization techniques namely: the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Electron Dispersive X-ray (EDX), and the Fourier Transmission Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Oxidation and bisphosphonates conjugation onto carbon nanotubes were further confirmed by the Raman, TGA, FT-IR, EDX and the SXPS (Scanning X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) Successful radiolabelling was determined by a liquid scintillation counter (LSC).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:2235 |
| Date | 02 May 2012 |
| Creators | Dlamini, Njabuliso Lucia |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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