EHP-in-Press Posts Article Regarding Effects of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

On May 16, 2008, EHP-in-Press posted an article entitled “Raw Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Induce Oxidative Stress and Activate MAPKs, AP-1, NF-κB, and Akt in Normal and Malignant Human Mesothelial Cells.” According to the article, the unique physicochemical and mechanical properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes have many potential new applications in medicine and industrial uses. The article states that exposure to single-wall carbon nanotubes induced generation of reactive oxygen species, increased cell death, enhanced DNA damage, H2AX phosphorylation, and activated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, activator protein-1, nuclear factor kappa B, protein p38, and protein serine-threonine kinase in a dose-dependent manner.  The article concludes that the cellular and molecular findings reported suggest that single-wall carbon nanotubes “can cause potentially adverse cellular responses in mesothelial cells through activation of molecular signaling associated with oxidative stress, which is of sufficient significance to warrant in vivo animal exposure studies.” EHP-in-Press articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Environmental Health Perspectives.