On the cytotoxicity of carbon nanotubes

Hussain, MA and Kabir, MA and Sood, AK (2009) On the cytotoxicity of carbon nanotubes. In: Current Science, 96 (5). pp. 664-673.

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Abstract

The cytotoxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a major concern today well before its unusual physicochemical, mechanical, and electrical properties are fully exploited for commercial interests and subsequent mass production leading to greater possibilities for its exposure to humans and the environment. Contradictory reports on cytotoxicity of CNTs often appear in the literature and a mechanistic explanation of the reported toxicity remains obscure. We review here the conflicting results to focus categorically on an array of issues in CNT cytotoxicity. They include dispersion, aggregation status, coating or functionalization and immobilization, cellular uptake or internalization, purity in terms of metal catalyst contaminants, size and size distribution, surface area, surface chemistry and surface reactivity, cell types selected for experimentation as well as bioassay of nanotoxicity itself attesting as an issue in cytotoxicity. Recently a general agreement has emerged towards the potential toxicity of CNTs, although various paradigms explaining the mechanisms of CNT cytotoxicity continue to be elusive in the literature. A lack of synergy among various issues while studying cytotoxicity and most developed paradigms for the mechanism of CNT toxicity is highlighted.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Current Science
Publisher:	Indian Academy Of Sciences
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:	Carbon nanotubes;cytotoxicity;nanocomposite;tissue engineering
Department/Centre:	Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Physics
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2009 11:30
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 05:29
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/19688

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