?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F36497%2F&rft.title=Metal+Nanoparticle-Decorated+Carbon+Nanocups+for+Drug+Delivery&rft.creator=Burkert%2C+Seth&rft.description=Carbon+nanotubes+are+viewed+as+an+ideal+vehicle+for+drug+delivery+due+to+their+ease+of+chemical+functionalization%2C+proven+ability+to+penetrate+cell+membranes%2C+and+tunable+length+scales+which+can+affect+bio-distribution.+However%2C+concerns+as+to+the+potential+harmful+side+effects+of+carbon+nanomaterials+have+been+reported%2C+halting+their+implementation+for+biological+applications.+The+incorporation+of+nitrogen+dopants+into+the+graphitic+lattice+of+carbon+nanotubes+results+in+sputtered+growth+yielding+a+bamboo+or+stacked+cup+nanotube+structures.+The+cup+structures+are+held+together+through+weak+van+der+Waals+forces+and+as+such+can+be+separated+into+individual+cups+for+potential+drug+delivery+applications.+Due+to+their+unique+electrical+and+structural+properties%2C+nanocups+represent+an+exciting+material+for+a+wide+range+of+applications.+We+first+investigated+the+electrochemical+response+of+synthesized+nanocups+towards+the+oxygen+reduction+reaction+which+has+important+implications+in+fuel+cell+technology.+Stacked+nanocups+were+then+separated+into+individual+and+short+stacked+segments+and+effectively+sealed+through+conjugation+with+gold+nanoparticles+resulting+in+a+unique+drug+delivery+vehicle.+The+method+of+separation+was+investigated+to+maximize+the+propensity+for+individual+nanocups+to+be+corked+with+gold+nanoparticles.+Furthermore%2C+the+metal+decoration+of+nanocups+was+explored+in+response+to+changes+in+the+local+environment+illustrating+a+robust+synthetic+procedure.+The+developed+gold+nanoparticle+corked+nanocups+showed+the+ability+to+be+loaded+with+target+molecules+and+effectively+degraded+through+biologically+relevant+enzymes+releasing+the+loaded+cargo.+These+enzymes+are+overexpressed+in+important+target+cells+in+the+tumor+microenvironment+creating+a+built-in+targeted+delivery+system+for+cancer+therapies.+The+culmination+of+this+report+illustrates+nanocups+loaded+with+paclitaxel%2C+a+common+chemotherapeutic+agent%2C+and+systemically+delivered+to+tumor-bearing+mice+resulting+in+tumor+growth+inhibition+with+25%E2%80%9330%25+of+mice+being+tumor+free+after+2%E2%80%933+weeks.+The+results+of+this+report+demonstrate+effective+drug+delivery+design+and+a+novel+immunotherapy+strategy+dependent+upon+systemic+cell+delivery+to+affect+change+in+the+tumor+microenvironment.&rft.date=2019-06-20&rft.type=University+of+Pittsburgh+ETD&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu%2F36497%2F1%2FSCBurkert_Dissertation_2.pdf&rft.identifier=++Burkert%2C+Seth++(2019)+Metal+Nanoparticle-Decorated+Carbon+Nanocups+for+Drug+Delivery.++Doctoral+Dissertation%2C+University+of+Pittsburgh.++++(Unpublished)++