CNT-Based Nano Medicine From Synthesis to Therapeutic Application

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon consisting of cylindrical tubes, made up of graphite with a diameter of several nm to a length of several mm. They had extraordinary structural, mechanical, and electronic properties due to their small size and mass, high mechanical resilience, and high electrical and thermal conductivity. Their large surface area made them applicable in pharmacy and medicine and adsorb or conjugate a broad variety of medical and diagnostic agents (drugs, genes, vaccines, antibodies, biosensors, etc.). They are often used to deliver drugs directly into the cells without going through the metabolic process of body. In addition to drug delivery and gene therapy, CNTs are also used for tissue regeneration, diagnostic biosensors, chiral drug enantiomer separation, drug extraction, and drug or pollutant analysis. CNTs have recently been discovered as effective antioxidants. The ADME and toxicity of different types of CNTs have also been documented here, as well as the prospects, advantages, and challenges of this promising bio-nano technology.