Halloysite nanotubes interacting with lipid vesicle membranes.

Fiche publication

Date publication

janvier 2026

Journal

Journal of colloid and interface science

Auteurs

Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr SCHMUTZ Marc

Tous les auteurs :
Ferlito C, Lisuzzo L, Lazzara G, Schmutz M, Stocco A

Lien Pubmed

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41628508

Résumé

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), naturally occurring aluminosilicates with a tubular structure, are promising nanocarriers for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility and unique morphology. However, their interaction with lipid membranes remains not fully explored. In this work, we aim at elucidating on the adhesion of HNTs on unilamellar vesicles made of phospholipids used as model of biological membranes. The adhesion was modulated by varying the lipid composition, ionic strength, and the size ratio between HNTs and vesicles. The adhesion mechanism was also studied by trapping a single HNT with optical tweezers and let it interact with a single vesicle. These findings show a preferential adhesion of the HNT tip on the lipid bilayer, which represents an important step toward directional membrane targeting in biomedical applications.