Back to Journals » International Journal of Nanomedicine » Volume 3 » Issue 2

Editorial ||Free paper||

Authors Thomas J Webster

Published 6 June 2008 Volume 2008:3(2)



Thomas J Webster

Divisions of Engineering and Orthopedics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

 

NanoTox: Hysteria or scientific studies?

A recent paper published in Nature Nanotechnology (Poland et al 2008) has been receiving a lot of attention. The paper details a study in which carbon nanotubes were injected into the mesothelial lining of the chest cavity of mice and concludes that multiwalled carbon nanotubes longer than 15 microns cause asbestos-like, length-dependent, pathogenic behavior (including inflammation and the formation of lesions known as granulomas). As one can ascertain by the alarming title of this article, it has been sending shivers down every scientist’s back who works with carbon nanotubes for various medical and nonmedical applications.