1 3
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:15
these turn CNTs into ideal platforms with diagnostic, therapeutic, and theranostic
possibilities not accessible for other nanoparticles and with promising preclinical
and clinical applications.
In this review, the biomedical applications of CNTs have been addressed in different fields of drug and/or gene delivery, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. The
special electronic and mechanical qualities of nanotubes make them suitable for
theranostic applications as providing an exceptional platform for combining disease
detection and treatment capacity at the same time. These structures can be used in
diagnosis as efficient biosensors or contrast agent for non-invasive imaging, and at
the same time, increase the lifetime of drugs in organism and facilitate their direct
delivery within cells of a target-specific tissue. Also, nanotubes have reached a vital
relevance in biotechnology, being an excellent scaffold on their own or taking the
part of hybrid materials for regenerative medicine. They have proved to be useful in
cell growth and proliferation, enabling the engineering of different tissues. The studies included in this review have highlighted the potential of CNTs and justified all
the efforts in optimizing their use as an alternative therapy for complicated medical
conditions with no current treatments.
Nevertheless, despite the numerous and intensive studies, some important inconveniences, which preclude potential clinical applications, need to be overcome, with
toxicity probably being the most important handicap. The triad of CNTs functionalization, type, size, and purity have been identified as leading causes determining
the utility of nanotube-based complex in vivo. Collating reliable cellular and animal
data with respect to molecularly well-defined architectures provides a basis for further breakthroughs on the horizon.
Acknowledgements This study was funded by grants from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity (SAF2017-83043-R), and by the Program MULTITARGET&VIEW-CM from Community of
Madrid, Spain (S2017/BMD-3688), involving contributions from FEDER and FSE funds.
Authors Contributions Pilar López-Larrubia had the idea for the article. Viviana Negri, Jesús PachecoTorres, Daniel Calle, and Pilar Lopez-Larrubia performed the literature search and data analysis, drafted
and critically revised the work.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
References
1. Ahsan MA, Jabbari V, Islam MT, Turley RS, Dominguez N, Kim H, Castro E, Hernandez-Viezcas JA, Curry ML, Lopez J, Gardea-Torresdey JL, Noveron JC (2019) Sustainable synthesis and
remarkable adsorption capacity of MOF/graphene oxide and MOF/CNT based hybrid nanocomposites for the removal of Bisphenol A from water. Sci Total Environ 673:306–317. https ://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2019.03.219
2. Ahsan MA, Jabbari V, Imam MA, Castro E, Kim H, Curry ML, Valles-Rosales DJ, Noveron JC
(2020) Nanoscale nickel metal organic framework decorated over graphene oxide and carbon
205
Reprinted from the journal
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:15
these turn CNTs into ideal platforms with diagnostic, therapeutic, and theranostic
possibilities not accessible for other nanoparticles and with promising preclinical
and clinical applications.
In this review, the biomedical applications of CNTs have been addressed in different fields of drug and/or gene delivery, bioimaging, and tissue engineering. The
special electronic and mechanical qualities of nanotubes make them suitable for
theranostic applications as providing an exceptional platform for combining disease
detection and treatment capacity at the same time. These structures can be used in
diagnosis as efficient biosensors or contrast agent for non-invasive imaging, and at
the same time, increase the lifetime of drugs in organism and facilitate their direct
delivery within cells of a target-specific tissue. Also, nanotubes have reached a vital
relevance in biotechnology, being an excellent scaffold on their own or taking the
part of hybrid materials for regenerative medicine. They have proved to be useful in
cell growth and proliferation, enabling the engineering of different tissues. The studies included in this review have highlighted the potential of CNTs and justified all
the efforts in optimizing their use as an alternative therapy for complicated medical
conditions with no current treatments.
Nevertheless, despite the numerous and intensive studies, some important inconveniences, which preclude potential clinical applications, need to be overcome, with
toxicity probably being the most important handicap. The triad of CNTs functionalization, type, size, and purity have been identified as leading causes determining
the utility of nanotube-based complex in vivo. Collating reliable cellular and animal
data with respect to molecularly well-defined architectures provides a basis for further breakthroughs on the horizon.
Acknowledgements This study was funded by grants from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity (SAF2017-83043-R), and by the Program MULTITARGET&VIEW-CM from Community of
Madrid, Spain (S2017/BMD-3688), involving contributions from FEDER and FSE funds.
Authors Contributions Pilar López-Larrubia had the idea for the article. Viviana Negri, Jesús PachecoTorres, Daniel Calle, and Pilar Lopez-Larrubia performed the literature search and data analysis, drafted
and critically revised the work.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
References
1. Ahsan MA, Jabbari V, Islam MT, Turley RS, Dominguez N, Kim H, Castro E, Hernandez-Viezcas JA, Curry ML, Lopez J, Gardea-Torresdey JL, Noveron JC (2019) Sustainable synthesis and
remarkable adsorption capacity of MOF/graphene oxide and MOF/CNT based hybrid nanocomposites for the removal of Bisphenol A from water. Sci Total Environ 673:306–317. https ://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2019.03.219
2. Ahsan MA, Jabbari V, Imam MA, Castro E, Kim H, Curry ML, Valles-Rosales DJ, Noveron JC
(2020) Nanoscale nickel metal organic framework decorated over graphene oxide and carbon
205
Reprinted from the journal