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Uptake and Release of Double‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Mammalian Cells
Author(s) -
Neves Vera,
Heister Elena,
Costa Sara,
Tîlmaciu Carmen,
BorowiakPalen Ewa,
Giusca Cristina E.,
Flahaut Emmanuel,
Soula Brigitte,
Coley Helen M.,
McFadden Johnjoe,
Silva S. Ravi P.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201000994
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , materials science , nanotechnology , in vivo , drug delivery , transfection , biophysics , cell culture , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Abstract Efforts to develop carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as nano‐vehicles for precise and controlled drug and gene delivery, as well as markers for in vivo biomedical imaging, are currently hampered by uncertainties with regard to their cellular uptake, their fate in the body, and their safety. All of these processes are likely to be affected by the purity of CNT preparation, as well as the size and concentration of CNTs used, parameters that are often poorly controlled in biological experiments. It is demonstrated herein that under the experimental conditions of standard transfection methods, DWNTs are taken up by cultured cells but are then released after 24 h with no discernable stress response. The results support the potential therapeutic use of CNTs in many biomedical settings, such as cancer therapy.