A method and nanoparticle construct provides shielded delivery of a drug or agent to a tissue or treatment site, and release of the agent may be triggered externally. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are filled with the therapeutic agent in a temperature sensitive gel, and release of the agent is effected by inductive heating, e.g. applying an alternating or pulsed magnetic field, or electrical field. The CNTs may be functionalized for solubility, drug absorption, responsivity to pH, enzyme catalysis, and/or ambient biological environment. Encapsulation within the nanostructure protects the intracorporal or surrounding cellular environment from the potentially toxic cargo and prevents the degradation of the cargo during delivery. By releasing at or in the target tissue extremely small amounts of the agent may achieve an effective level of treatment, as measured by cell apoptosis, tumor shrinkage or other treatment effect while safely avoiding systemic damage.
