Carbon Nanotubes: A Summary of Beneficial and Dangerous Aspects of an Increasingly Popular Group of Nanomaterials

Chengke Zhang; Licun Wu; Marc de Perrot; Xiaogang Zhao

doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.693814

Carbon Nanotubes: A Summary of Beneficial and Dangerous Aspects of an Increasingly Popular Group of Nanomaterials

Front Oncol. 2021 Jul 27:11:693814. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.693814. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Chengke Zhang^{1

2}, Licun Wu^{2

3}, Marc de Perrot^{3

4}, Xiaogang Zhao^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
² Key Laboratory of Thoracic Cancer, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
³ Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories and Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁴ Department Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials with broad applications that are produced on a large scale. Animal experiments have shown that exposure to CNTs, especially one type of multi-walled carbon nanotube, MWCNT-7, can lead to malignant transformation. CNTs have characteristics similar to asbestos (size, shape, and biopersistence) and use the same molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways as those involved in asbestos tumorigenesis. Here, a comprehensive review of the characteristics of carbon nanotubes is provided, as well as insights that may assist in the design and production of safer nanomaterials to limit the hazards of currently used CNTs.

Keywords: asbestos; carbon nanotubes; carcinogen; malignant mesothelioma; nanomaterials.

Publication types

Review