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Nanotoxicology

The asbestos analogy revisited

Nature Nanotechnology volume 3, pages 378–379 (2008)Cite this article

Direct injection of long multiwalled carbon nanotubes into the abdominal cavity of mice produces asbestos-like pathogenic behaviour. What does this finding mean for nanotube safety?

The possibility that carbon nanotubes would show asbestos-like behaviour in the human body was raised ten years ago with a call for appropriate research1. Exposure to asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma — cancer of the lining of the lungs (pleura) and abdominal cavity (peritoneum). The nanotube and asbestos analogy relies on several points of material similarity: small fibre diameter, long length and chemical stability in physiological environments (biopersistence). There are also differences between these two fibrous materials, such as their chemical composition and surface properties, so the validity and usefulness of the nanotube and asbestos analogy have been unclear. Two recent studies provide important new insight into the possibility that carbon nanotubes may indeed induce mesothelioma — a disease that is rare in unexposed populations and is thus a sensitive marker for asbestos exposure.

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Figure 1: Exposure to asbestos fibres leads to development of malignant mesothelioma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agnes B. Kane and Robert H. Hurt are at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Agnes_Kane@brown.edu; Robert_Hurt@brown.edu,

    Agnes B. Kane & Robert H. Hurt

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  1. Agnes B. Kane
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  2. Robert H. Hurt
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Kane, A., Hurt, R. The asbestos analogy revisited. Nature Nanotech 3, 378–379 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.182

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