New potential Halloysite application in nanotech in healthcare

Not sure if medical applications of Halloysite been discussed, but I came across a very recent research paper from an A-tier journal/publisher that shows the current development of using Halloysite in nano-medicine, in particular bacterial infections and gut health. Someone should also contact LRS management to check it out!



From the paper abstract:

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally occurring tubular clay particles which have emerged in recent years as a promising nanomaterial for numerous applications. Specifically, HNTs’ large pore volume and high specific surface area in combination with their biocompatibility make them ideal nanocarriers for bioactive compounds. This research aims to design and synthesize functionalized HNTs, which could selectively bind to target bacterial cells in suspension. Such a system can allow us to treat target cells within a challenging heterogeneous population, such as contaminated ecosystems or gut flora. HNTs functionalization is achieved by immobilizing specific antibodies onto the nanotube surface. The synthetic route is realized by the following subsequent steps: acidic etching of the HNTs, silanization of reactive surface hydroxyls, conjugation of protein A, and oriented immobilization of the antibody. HNT functionalization is studied by a set of analytical techniques including attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as fluorescence microscopy. The selective binding of the functionalized HNTs to their target bacteria is observed upon incubation with live homogenous and heterogeneous cultures using fluorescence microscopy and high-throughput flow cytometry. Plate count and live/dead staining experiments demonstrate the biocompatibility of the antibody-HNT hybrid with its target bacteria. The suggested HNT-based smart carrier constitutes a generic platform for targeted delivery that could be selectively tailored against any microorganism by facile antibody adjustment.


IMO this could a bigger deal than scaling up the use of Halloysite for carbon capture or robusitfy-ing EV batteries given the market size of healthcare, and the rise of antibiotics resistance forcing medical researchers down new avenues of treatment. Obviously this stuff will be at least a decade down the road before they reach human clinical trials, but the fact that it's a generic platform means that Halloysite could be a base nanomaterial required for a lot of future medicine, which would strengthen the value thesis for scalable Halloysite producers!

DYOR.