Читать книгу Sustainable Nanotechnology - Группа авторов - Страница 19

CNTs are one of the unique one‐dimensional nanomaterials discovered by SumioIijima in 1991. CNTs can be functionalized via different methods to perform their specific functions and received more and more attention in biomedical fields. It is because of their unique structures and properties, including high aspect ratios, large surface areas, rich surface chemical functionalities, and size stability on the nanoscale range [27, 28]. Being attractive carriers and mediators for cancer therapy, they have also been applied as mediators for PTT and photodynamic therapy to directly destroy cancer cells without severely damaging normal tissue.

CNTs are becoming one of the strongest tools that are available for various other biomedical fields as well as for cancer therapy [29]. CNTs are used as nanocarrier transporters to transport anticancer drugs, genes, and proteins for chemotherapy that makes them effective in delivering biomolecules and drugs [30, 31]. They have the ability to enter cells, and this behavior is independent of cell type and functional group at their surface.

Research shows a variety of chemically functionalized CNTs have the ability of biocompatibility with the biological environment. The behavior of the material can be regulated making them a useful tool for all kinds of diagnosis and therapeutic as well as drug delivery applications [32, 33]. Besides CNTs, MnO₂ nanotubes, platinum nanoparticles, paclitaxel‐loaded riboflavin, and thiamine‐conjugated multiwalled CNTs showed promising potential in the treatment of cancer [34–37].