Nanotubes delivering drugs through cell membrane

Tiny Tubes, Big Impact: How Nanotubes Could Revolutionize Medicine

Mira Elwood in Tech & Innovation September 2025 • 4 min read.

"Scientists create innovative 'tubisomes' for targeted drug delivery, offering hope for treating diseases at the cellular level"

Nature has perfected the art of building complex structures from simple components. Viruses, for example, rely on the precise arrangement of capsid proteins, held together by a combination of hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonds, to infect cells. Inspired by these natural systems, scientists are striving to create synthetic materials with similar capabilities.

One promising area of research involves supramolecular chemistry, where molecules self-assemble into larger, well-defined structures. This approach offers the potential to create materials with tailored properties and functions, mimicking the intricate designs found in biological systems.

Now, researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough by developing novel structures called 'tubisomes'. These tiny tubes possess the ability to perforate cell membranes and deliver therapeutic agents directly into cells. This innovation could revolutionize medicine, offering new strategies for targeted drug delivery and disease treatment.

The Science Behind Tubisomes: Building Blocks of a Medical Revolution

Nanotubes delivering drugs through cell membrane

The key to the tubisomes' functionality lies in their unique design. The researchers synthesized a polymer/cyclic peptide conjugate, combining the properties of both building blocks. Cyclic peptides are known to self-assemble into nanotubes through hydrogen bonding, creating a rigid, tubular structure. The polymer component, on the other hand, provides amphiphilic properties, meaning it has both hydrophobic (water-repelling) and hydrophilic (water-attracting) regions.

When placed in water, these polymer/cyclic peptide conjugates self-assemble in a hierarchical manner. First, the cyclic peptides stack together to form nanotubes. Then, these nanotubes further associate into larger structures called tubisomes. These tubisomes have a distinct core-shell architecture: the hydrophobic portions of the polymer form the core, while the hydrophilic portions create a shell that interacts favorably with water.

This unique structure offers several advantages:

Targeted Delivery: The tubisomes can be engineered to target specific cells or tissues by attaching targeting molecules to their surface.
Drug Encapsulation: The hydrophobic core can encapsulate drugs or other therapeutic agents, protecting them from degradation and ensuring their delivery to the intended site.
Membrane Penetration: The tubisomes can interact with cell membranes, facilitating the delivery of their cargo directly into the cell's interior.

To test the tubisomes' functionality, the researchers conducted a series of experiments. They found that the tubisomes were able to perforate the membranes of lysosomes, cellular organelles responsible for waste disposal. This perforation allowed a small molecule, initially trapped within the lysosome, to escape into the cytosol, the cell's main compartment. This result demonstrates the tubisomes' ability to deliver cargo directly into cells.

Future Implications and Next Steps

This research opens up exciting new possibilities for targeted drug delivery. By engineering tubisomes to target specific cells and deliver therapeutic agents directly into their interior, scientists could develop more effective treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, infections, and genetic disorders. Further research will focus on optimizing the tubisomes' design, improving their targeting capabilities, and evaluating their safety and efficacy in animal models. The ultimate goal is to translate this technology into clinical applications, bringing the benefits of targeted drug delivery to patients in need.

About this Article -

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1002/ange.201808543, Alternate LINK

Title: Secondary Self‐Assembly Of Supramolecular Nanotubes Into Tubisomes And Their Activity On Cells

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Angewandte Chemie

Publisher: Wiley

Authors: Johannes C. Brendel, Joaquin Sanchis, Sylvain Catrouillet, Ewa Czuba, Moore Z. Chen, Benjamin M. Long, Cameron Nowell, Angus Johnston, Katrina A. Jolliffe, Sébastien Perrier

Published: 2018-12-17

Everything You Need To Know

What are tubisomes and how are they designed for targeted drug delivery?

Tubisomes are innovative supramolecular nanotubes engineered to penetrate cell membranes and deliver drugs directly into cells. Constructed from polymer/cyclic peptide conjugates, they self-assemble into structures with a hydrophobic core for drug encapsulation and a hydrophilic shell for water interaction. Their design allows for targeted drug delivery, protecting drugs from degradation and facilitating membrane penetration.

How does the combination of polymers and cyclic peptides contribute to the functionality of tubisomes?

The functionality of tubisomes hinges on their unique design, combining a polymer and cyclic peptide conjugate. Cyclic peptides self-assemble into nanotubes via hydrogen bonding, forming a rigid structure. The polymer component provides amphiphilic properties, with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. This allows tubisomes to self-assemble in water, creating a core-shell architecture ideal for drug encapsulation and targeted delivery.

What mechanisms enable tubisomes to achieve targeted drug delivery at the cellular level?

Tubisomes are engineered for targeted drug delivery by attaching targeting molecules to their surface. Their hydrophobic core encapsulates drugs, protecting them until they reach the intended site. Furthermore, tubisomes can interact with cell membranes, facilitating the direct delivery of their cargo into the cell's interior. The research demonstrated tubisomes' ability to perforate lysosome membranes, releasing their contents into the cell.

What are the potential future implications of tubisome technology for treating diseases?

Tubisomes hold immense potential for treating various diseases, including cancer, infections, and genetic disorders. By targeting specific cells and delivering therapeutic agents directly inside them, tubisomes could offer more effective treatments with fewer side effects. Current research focuses on optimizing tubisome design, improving their targeting capabilities, and assessing their safety and effectiveness in animal models, with the ultimate goal of clinical application.

How does the development of tubisomes relate to natural systems and the broader field of supramolecular chemistry?

The creation of tubisomes draws inspiration from natural systems like viruses, which use precise arrangements of proteins to infect cells. Supramolecular chemistry, where molecules self-assemble into larger structures, enables the creation of tubisomes with tailored properties. Tubisomes mimic the intricate designs found in biological systems, offering a synthetic approach to drug delivery that leverages nature's efficiency. Although not explicitly mentioned, the concept relates to fields like biomimicry and nanotechnology.