title: Toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an important class of nanomaterials, which have numerous novel properties that make them useful in technology and industry. Generally, there are two types of CNTs: single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes. SWNTs, in particular, possess unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, allowing for a wide range of applications in various fields, including the electronic, computer, aerospace, and biomedical industries. However, the use of SWNTs has come under scrutiny, not only due to their peculiar nanotoxicological profile, but also due to the forecasted increase in SWNT production in the near future. As such, the risk of human exposure is likely to be increased substantially. Yet, our understanding of the toxicological risk of SWNTs in human biology remains limited. This review seeks to examine representative data on the nanotoxicity of SWNTs by first considering how SWNTs are absorbed, distributed, accumulated and excreted in a biological system, and how SWNTs induce organ-specific toxicity in the body. The contradictory findings of numerous studies with regards to the potential hazards of SWNT exposure are discussed in this review. The possible mechanisms and molecular pathways associated with SWNT nanotoxicity in target organs and specific cell types are presented. We hope that this review will stimulate further research into the fundamental aspects of CNTs, especially the biological interactions which arise due to the unique intrinsic characteristics of CNTs.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Li-Chu
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Felicia Fei-Lei
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yuen-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. cheeonn_leong@imu.edu.my.|School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, 126 Jalan 19/155B, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. cheeonn_leong@imu.edu.my.
authors.forename: Chee-Onn
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Leong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001822:Body Burden; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D036103:Nanotechnology; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000633:toxicity*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon
keywords: Carbon nanotube; Nanomaterials; Nanotoxicity; Single-walled; Toxicology