Fullerenes in Medicine; Will it ever Occur?

Abstract

Fullerenes represent a group of compounds having unique properties that make them attractivecandidates for use as a platform for developing new medical applications. The carbon cage(usually C60 and C70) of empty cage fullerenes (Figure 1-left/middle) are being developed astherapeutics for disease processes such as multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration, HIV infection,cancer, radiation exposure, ischemia, allergic disease, infectious disease, and generalinflammation. Metallo-fullerenes (Figure 1-right; that have metals enclosed within the carboncage) are being developed into new biomarker homing, diagnostic contrast agents for MRI.Lastly, a new class of theranostics are being developed that combine cell targetingcapabilities/imaging with a therapeutic payload. Their inherent properties combined with theirability to be derivatized with side chains results in almost limitless new chemical structuresmaking them ideal platform molecules for new solutions to basic biological problems. However,one of the biggest obstacles that have kept this class of compounds from potentially improvinghuman health and reducing health care costs is the concern about toxicity. This has been due, inpart, to the lack of standard structural relationships that affect biological outcomes of FullereneDerivatives (FD).