Abstract
The low solubility of nanocarbon materials (fullerenes, CNTs and graphene) has restricted their widespread commercial use. Functionalization, however, helps overcome this major limitation. Much work has been documented recently on water soluble fullerenes (FWS) in treating cancer (e.g. breast cancer), tumours, arthritis, Parkinson’s, influenzas and HIV-AIDS. Even an aqueous nasal spray to combat Alzheimer’s has been advocated. A recent US patent shows that FWS, based on its anti-oxidant activity, is a powerful Radical Oxygen Scavenger. FWS have been used in X-ray imaging, as MRI Contrast Agents (MRI-CA), to make solar cells and could help produce nanodevices and biosensors. This review examines this emerging field.
Highlights
Nanocarbon materials (NCMs) include fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene, which have been recognized by the award of Nobel prizes in 1996 and 2010
A recent patent documents their use as antioxidants, as these are Radical Oxygen Scavengers (ROS), which are expected to serve as good theranostic platforms
It is known that fullerene shows little toxicity in its functionalized form. This is in spite of the possible cytotoxicity arising from the efficient generation of singlet oxygen Fullerenes are powerful antioxidants due to their ROS activity [1] and can serve as multifunctional Theranostics platforms“demonstrating the beauty and power on nanotechnology”
Summary
Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, India Submission: April 03, 2017; Published: April 26, 2017 *Corresponding author: Eswaran SV, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121001, India, E-mail: Dedicated to: the memory of my father, late Mr V.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
