ABSTRACT
Nanoscale formulations allowed for significant progress in medicine. Design of functional smart nanocontainers for loading and controlled release of drugs and targeted delivery are in development (Brigger et al., 2002). Typically, biomimetic materials like polymers, lipids, polysaccharides, and proteins are used to create drug delivery systems. Inorganic tubular nanomaterials were also extensively studied for drug delivery, bone implants and, tissue scaffolds, and so on (Singhet al., 2008; Singh et al., 2010; and Luo et al., 2011). One such tubular nanomaterial is naturally available halloysite clay. Halloysite is a biocompatible material, which makes it prospective for medical applications and household products (Abdullayev and Lvov, 2013). Halloysite mixed with selectin protein was used for capturing leukemic and epithelial cancer cells (Hughes and King, 2010). The immobilization of enzymes within halloysite lumen may generate new functional materials exploiting nanoconfined reactions inside the pores. Bio-catalytic synthesis of vaterate within nanotube lumens has been demonstrated (Shchukin et al., 2005). All these features combined with the availability of halloysite from natural sources, biocompatibility and simplicity in processing makes it prospective material for medical applications.
