Tubular nanostructure targeted to cell membrane

1. A method for providing a stable pore in a lipid bilayer membrane comprising: positioning one or more elements at one or more of an intracellular end and an extracellular end of a tubular nanostructure, positioning the tubular nanostructure across a lipid bilayer membrane, wherein the tubular nanostructure includes a hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in the lipid bilayer membrane and including at least one ligand configured to bind one or more cognates on the membrane, and reversibly blocking the pore with the one or more elements to control transport of molecules through the tubular nanostructure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the hydrophilic regions of the tubular nanostructure is located at an end of a tubular nanostructure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein both hydrophilic regions are located at opposite ends of a tubular nanostructure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the tubular nanostructure across the lipid bilayer membrane induces cell death.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lipid bilayer membrane is on a neoplastic cell, an infected cell, a bacterial cell, or a parasite cell.

6. A method for providing a stable pore in a lipid bilayer membrane comprising: positioning one or more elements at one or more of an intracellular end and an extracellular end of a composite tubular nanostructure, positioning the composite tubular nanostructure across a lipid bilayer membrane wherein the composite tubular nanostructure includes two or more nanotubes wherein at least one nanotube includes a hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in a lipid bilayer membrane, and reversibly blocking the pore with the one or more elements to control transport of molecules through the tubular nanostructure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydrophilic regions are located at opposite ends of the at least one nanotubes.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the tubular nanostructure positioned across the lipid bilayer membrane induces cell death.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lipid bilayer membrane is on a neoplastic cell, an infected cell, a bacterial cell, or a parasite cell.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the tubular nanostructure is assisted in crossing the membrane core by lipid molecules from the membrane.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the lipid molecules assisting the tubular nanostructure in crossing the membrane undergo lipid translocation across a bilayer leaflet.

12. A method for disrupting a lipid bilayer membrane of a cell comprising:

positioning one or more elements at one or more of a cytoplasmic end and an extracellular end of at least one tubular nanostructure to control transport of molecules through the tubular nanostructure,

contacting the cell with the at least one tubular nanostructure including a hydrophobic surface region flanked by two hydrophilic surface regions configured to form a pore in the lipid bilayer membrane and including at least one ligand configured to bind one or more cognates on the lipid bilayer membrane of the cell, and

reversibly blocking the pore with one or more of the one or more elements to control transport of molecules through the tubular nanostructure.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein two or more ligands are configured to bind to the one or more cognates on the lipid bilayer membrane.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one tubular nanostructure positioned across the lipid bilayer membrane induces cell death.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region includes a single wall carbon nanotube surface region.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ligand is a therapeutic compound configured to affect a cell or process or to treat at least one of a disease, condition, or symptom.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements are on the extracellular end of the nanostructure.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements are on the cytoplasmic end of the nanostructure.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements include a hydrophilic inner liner of the tubular nanostructure.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements include at least one second ligand configured to reversibly bind a cognate of interest, wherein the cognate of interest passes through the pore.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ligand includes a monospecific antibody or a bispecific antibody.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more elements is a magnetic entity.

23. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more elements include a molecular entity including one or more of at least a portion of a carbon nanostructure, polynucleotide, polypeptide, antibody, receptor, glycoprotein, lipid, polysaccharide, or polymer.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements include a charged group.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements are passive.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements are active.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the pore permits transit or translocation of at least one compound across the membrane.

28. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a marker attached to the nanostructure.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the marker is activated by anchoring in the membrane.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the marker is activated by a ligand reaction.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the marker is activated by interaction with a hydrophobic medium.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region is extended in diameter.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region is extended in diameter by a disk, a stub, or a graphene sheet.

34. The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region includes a single wall carbon nanotube surface region.

35. The method of claim 6 , wherein one or both of the hydrophilic surface regions are at the end of the nanostructure.

36. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one ligand includes a therapeutic compound configured to affect a cell or process or to treat at least one of a disease, condition, or symptom.

37. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements are on the extracellular end of the nanostructure.

38. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements are on the cytoplasmic end of the nanostructure.

39. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements include a hydrophilic inner liner of the tubular nanostructure.

40. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements include at least one second ligand configured to reversibly bind a cognate of interest, wherein the cognate of interest passes through the pore.

41. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one ligand includes a monospecific antibody or a bispecific antibody.

42. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements is a magnetic entity.

43. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements is a molecular entity including one or more of at least a portion of a carbon nanostructure, polynucleotide, polypeptide, antibody, receptor, glycoprotein, lipid, polysaccharide, or polymer.

44. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements include a charged group.

45. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements are passive.

46. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements are active.

47. The method of claim 45 , wherein the pore permits transit or translocation of at least one compound across the membrane.

48. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a marker attached to the nanostructure.

49. The method of claim 48 , wherein the marker is activated by anchoring in the membrane.

50. The method of claim 49 , wherein the marker is activated by a ligand reaction.

51. The method of claim 49 , wherein the marker is activated by interaction with a hydrophobic medium.

52. The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region is extended in diameter.

53. The method of claim 52 , wherein the hydrophobic surface region is extended in diameter by a disk, a stub, or a graphene sheet.

54. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements is a magnetic entity.

55. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more elements include a molecular entity including one or more of at least a portion of a carbon nanostructure, polynucleotide, polypeptide, antibody, receptor, glycoprotein, lipid, polysaccharide, or polymer.

56. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements is a magnetic entity.

57. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more elements include a molecular entity including one or more of at least a portion of a carbon nanostructure, polynucleotide, polypeptide, antibody, receptor, glycoprotein, lipid, polysaccharide, or polymer.