title: Advancement in carbon nanotubes: basics, biomedical applications and toxicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted much attention by researchers worldwide in recent years for their small dimensions and unique architecture, and for having immense potential in nanomedicine as biocompatible and supportive substrates, as a novel tool for the delivery of therapeutic molecules including peptides, RNA and DNA, and also as sensors, actuators and composites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CNTs have been employed in the development of molecular electronic, composite materials and others due to their unique atomic structure, high surface area-to-volume ratio and excellent electronic, mechanical and thermal properties. Recently they have been exploited as novel nanocarriers in drug delivery systems and biomedical applications. Their larger inner volume as compared with the dimensions of the tube and easy immobilization of their outer surface with biocompatible materials make CNTs a superior nanomaterial for drug delivery. Literature reveals that CNTs are versatile carriers for controlled and targeted drug delivery, especially for cancer cells, because of their cell membrane penetrability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review enlightens the biomedical application of CNTs with special emphasis on utilization in controlled and targeted drug delivery, as a diagnostics tool and other possible uses in therapeutic systems. The review also focuses on the toxicity aspects of CNTs, and revealed that genotoxic potential, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of different types of CNTs must be explored and overcome by formulating safe biomaterial for drug delivery. The review also describes the regulatory aspects and clinical and market status of CNTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India. sarwar.beg@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sarwar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizwan
authors.forename: Asif M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: M Saquib
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hasnain
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anwer
authors.forename: Kanchan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon