Do Carbon Nanotubes Mimic Asbestos?

A January 2009 report published in the scientific journal Nature Nanotechnology reported on carbon nanotubes and their use in medical nanotechnology research. The report found that nanotube threads mimic asbestos, leading to questions about how they can be used safely in medical applications.

Nanotubes are microscopic, and are made from rolled pipes of graphite. Some nanotubes are as narrow as one billionth of a meter. In medical applications, researchers are studying whether they can be used as a delivery mechanism to deliver medications that can treat and kill cancer tumors.

Part of the study involved injecting mice with asbestos and commercial samples of carbon nanotubes. When the researchers examined the lining of the rodents' abdominal cavities, they noted that the nanotubes behaved like asbestos, provoking inflammation and lesions. The study did not find a similar asbestos-like effect with shorter or more tangled strands of the nanotubes.

Exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading plaintiffs' law firm that has represented people affected by mesothelioma for over 20 years. Men and women diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure may be entitled to compensation from the companies responsible for their disease.

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