The articles highlighted in this issue are “Pulmonary Toxicity of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Mice 7 and 90 Days after Intratracheal Instillation” by Chiu-Wing Lam, John T. James, Richard McCluskey, and Robert L. Hunter (pp. 126–134) and “Comparative Pulmonary Toxicity Assessment of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Rats” by D. B. Warheit, B. R. Laurence, K. L. Reed, D. H. Roach, G. A. M. Rey...

Increased production and use of nanomaterials has led to an ever growing exposure of livingorganisms to these substances. Limited knowledge about possible toxicity of nanomaterialsand their potential to harm living creatures is becoming a serious concern. To address thisproblem, there is a need for development of diagnostic methods enabling effective determinationof potential toxicity of nanoma...

In a recent paper published in Toxicological Sciences, "Inhalation Toxicity of Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes in Rats Exposed for Three Months", a team of European researchers have reported the findings of a 90-day inhalation toxicity study of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in rats. This study led by Robert Landsiedel, Head of the Short Term Toxicology Department at BASF SE in Germany not ...

Functionalized carbon nanotubes display unique properties that enable a variety of medicinal applications, including the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and central nervous system disorders, and applications in tissue engineering. These potential applications are particularly encouraged by their ability to penetrate biological membranes and relatively low toxicity. High a...

We discuss eight major challenges in the field of carbon nanomaterial toxicity. Generally, we pick up some of them, and the most important challenge is searching of the qualitative relationships between nanofactors and cytotoxicity. This is important since it can provide the possibility of conscious changes of carbon nanotubes cytotoxicity by manipulation with selected nanofactors. Therefore, t...

carbon nanotubes (cnts) are high aspect ratio allotropes of carbon. because of their unique physical and chemical characteristics, they are nominated for a vast variety of applications in the biomedical field. their very low solubility is the only problem of them which is solved by different methods of functionalization. after discoveries in the last few years of the capacity of cnts to penetra...

Carbon nanotubes are promising nanomaterials with great potential in the field of nanomedicine for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Different approaches have been developed to render this material biocompatible and to modulate any ensuing toxic effects. In the context of medical use, although chemically functionalised carbon nanotubes display reduced toxicity, they are still consid...

A Study on the Applications and Toxicity Assessments of Carbon Nanotubes in Tissue Engineering

This study evaluates the cytotoxicity of four carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs)--single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), aqueous phase C60 nanoparticles (aq-nC60), and colloidal graphite--in gram negative and gram positive bacteria. The potential impacts of CBNs on microorganisms in natural and engineered aquatic systems are also evaluated. SWNTs inactivate...