Carcinogenicity evaluation for the application of carbon nanotubes as biomaterials in rasH2 mice

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 498
• Main Authors: Takanashi, Seiji, Hara, Kazuo, Aoki, Kaoru, Usui, Yuki, Shimizu, Masayuki, Haniu, Hisao, Ogihara, Nobuhide, Ishigaki, Norio, Nakamura, Koichi, Okamoto, Masanori, Kobayashi, Shinsuke, Kato, Hiroyuki, Sano, Kenji, Nishimura, Naoyuki, Tsutsumi, Hideki, Machida, Kazuhiko, Saito, Naoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09-07-2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/436/570; 631/67/755; 639/301/54; 639/358/73; Animals; Biocompatible Materials - administration & dosage; Biocompatible Materials - toxicity; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; Black carbon; Carbon; Carbon - toxicity; Carbon black; Carcinogenicity; Carcinogenicity Tests; Carcinogens - toxicity; Humanities and Social Sciences; Injections, Subcutaneous; Lung - metabolism; Lung - pathology; Male; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; multidisciplinary; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon - toxicity; Neoplasia; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) - genetics; Science; Skin - pathology; Spleen - metabolism; Spleen - pathology; Survival Analysis; Toxicity; Transgenic mice
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep00498

The application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as biomaterials is of wide interest and studies examining their application in medicine have had considerable significance. Biological safety is the most important factor when considering the clinical application of CNTs as biomaterials and various toxicity evaluations are required. Among these evaluations, carcinogenicity should be examined with the highest priority; however, no report using transgenic mice to evaluate the carcinogenicity of CNTs has been published to date. Here, we performed a carcinogenicity test by implanting multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) into the subcutaneous tissue of rasH2 mice, using the carbon black present in black tattoo ink as a reference material for safety. The rasH2 mice did not develop neoplasms after being injected with MWCNTs; instead, MWCNTs showed lower carcinogenicity than carbon black. Such evaluations should facilitate the clinical application and development of CNTs for use in important medical fields.