ABSTRACT
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first specifically identified and
described in 1991.1 These nanoscale materials have since been
widely used in a variety of fields due to their extraordinary prop-
erties, including high surface area, high mechanical strength, elec-
tronic properties, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. CNTs
have also been developed and explored for a wide range of appli-
cations including in biomedicine, as biosensors, tissue engineer-
ing scaffolds, and drug delivery systems. The interaction between
CNTs and mammalian cells was first observed by Pantarotto and
co-workers in 2003.2 Chemically functionalized single-walled CNTs
were studied to report internalization by cells. Since then, more
experimental techniques, materials, and cell types have been stud-
ied to identify the interaction between CNTs and cells in vitro. A variety of investigations are currently underway to study the interaction
between biological systems and CNTs.
