Tubular nanostructure targeted to cell membrane

A tubular nanostructure comprising:

• a hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in a lipid bilayer membrane of a cell;
• at least one cell type specific ligand attached to the tubular nanostructure and configured to bind one or more cell type specific cognates on the membrane;
• and
• a binding moiety associated with one or both ends of the tubular nanostructure, the binding moiety having a structure to reversibly bind an agent including at least one of a therapeutic agent, a toxin, a genetic material, or a chemical, and wherein controlled dissociation of the agent from the binding moiety results in passage of the agent through the pore formed by the tubular nanostructure in the lipid bilayer membrane of the cell.

A tubular nanostructure comprising:

• a hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in a lipid bilayer membrane of a cell;
• at least one cell type specific ligand attached to the tubular nanostructure and configured to bind one or more cell type specific cognates on the membrane;
• a constitutively activatable marker attached to the tubular nanostructure, the constitutively activatable marker including a molecular beacon having a chemical structure that constitutively fluoresces in response to interacting with at least one of a target in or on the membrane or a target within the extracellular matrix;
• and
• a binding moiety associated with one or both ends of the tubular nanostructure, the binding moiety having a structure to reversibly bind an agent including at least one of a therapeutic agent, a toxin, a genetic material, or a chemical, and wherein controlled dissociation of the agent from the binding moiety results in passage of the agent through the pore formed by the tubular nanostructure in the lipid bilayer membrane of the cell.

A composite tubular nanostructure comprising:

• two or more nanotubes wherein at least one nanotube includes a hydrophobic surface region, each hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in a lipid bilayer membrane of a cell;
• at least one cell type specific ligand attached to the at least one nanotube and configured to bind one or more cell type specific cognates on the lipid bilayer membrane of the cell;
• and
• a binding moiety associated with one or both ends of the at least one nanotube, the binding moiety having a structure to reversibly bind an agent including at least one of a therapeutic agent, a toxin, a genetic material, or a chemical, wherein controlled dissociation of the agent from the binding moiety results in passage of the agent through the pore formed by the at least one nanotube.