Carbon Nanotubes: From Bench Chemistry to Promising Biomedical Applications

ISBN-13: 9789814241687 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 156 str.

Giorgia Pastorin

Opis

This book represents a critical evaluation of the most recent discoveries about carbon nanotubes and includes a cautious description of their impact on personal health and environmental pollution. It also offers an overview of the main research groups around the world which have been focusing their efforts on the exploitation of this intriguing material, with the purpose of inspiring young scientists to follow their pathway.

Spis treści

Contributors.  Preface.  Stabilisation of Carbon Nanotube Suspensions.  Introduction.  Functionalised CNTs for Drug Delivery. Surface-Active Agents in Stabilising CNT Suspensions.  Stabilisation of Aqueous Suspensions of Carbon Nanotubes by Self-Assembling Block Copolymers.  Stabilisation of Aqueous Suspensions of Carbon Nanotubes by Chitosan and its Derivatives.  Biomedical Applications I: Delivery of Drugs.  Introduction.  Non-Covalent Functionalisation on the External Walls.  "Defect" Functionalisation at the Tips and Sidewalls
Covalent Functionalisation on the External Sidewalls.  Encapsulation Inside CNTs Conclusions and Perspectives.  Biomedical Applications II: In_luence of Carbon Nanotubes in Cancer Therapy.　 Importance of Nanotechnology in Cancer Therapy.  Carbon Nanotubes: A Brief Overview. Carbon Nanotubes as Drug Vectors in Cancer Treatment.  Delivery of Oligonucleotides Mediated by Carbon Nanotubes.  Carbon Nanotubes in Radiotherapy.  Carbon Nanotubes in Thermal Ablation. Biosensors Based on Carbon Nanotubes.  Conclusions.  Biomedical Applications III: Delivery of Immunostimulants and Vaccines.  Introduction to the Immune System.  Immunogenic Response of Peptide Antigens Conjugated to Functionalised CNTs.  Interaction of Functionalised CNTs with CPG Motifs and Their Immunostimulatory Activity. Immunogenicity of Carbon Nanotubes.  Conclusions.  Biomedical Applications IV: Carbon Nanotube–Nucleic Acid Complexes for Biosensors, Gene Delivery and Selective Cancer Therapy.  Introduction. Interaction of CNTs with Nucleic Acids.  Sensors and Nanocomposites.  CNT–Nucleic Acid Complexes for Gene Delivery and Selective Cancer Treatment.  Biomedical Applications V: In_luence of Carbon Nanotubes in Neuronal Living Networks.　 Introduction.  Effects of Carbon Nanotubes on Neuronal Cells’ Adhesion, Growth, Morphology and Differentiation.  Electrical Stimulation of Neuronal Cells Grown on Carbon Nanotube-Based Substrates.  Investigation of the Mechanisms of the Electrical Interactions Between CNTs and Neurons.  Conclusions and Perspectives.  Biomedical Applications VI: Carbon Nanotubes as Biosensing and Bio-interfacial Materials.　 Introduction.  Biosensor.  Bio-interface.  Conclusions.  Toxicity of Carbon Nanotubes.  Introduction.  Parameters Responsible for the Toxicity of CNTs.  Environmental Exposure.  Conclusion.  Overview on the Major Research Activities on Carbon Nanotubes being done in America, Europe and Asia.  Introduction.  America.  Europe.  Asia.  Index.

O autorze

Giorgia Pastorin received her MSc (110/110 cum laude) in pharmaceutical and chemistry technologies in 2000 and her PhD in 2004 from the University of Trieste, Italy. She then moved to France for two years of postdoctoral fellowship at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Strasbourg, where she acquired some skills in drug delivery under the supervision of Dr Alberto Bianco. She joined the National University of Singapore in June 2006 as assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy.