Biomimetic carbon nanotubes for neurological disease therapeutics as inherent medication

Nowadays, nanotechnology is revolutionizing the approaches to different fields from manufacture to health. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as promising candidates in nanomedicine have great potentials in developing novel entities for central nervous system pathologies, due to their excellent physicochemical properties and ability to interface with neurons and neuronal circuits. However, most of the studies mainly focused on the drug delivery and bioimaging applications of CNTs, while neglect their application prospects as therapeutic drugs themselves. At present, the relevant reviews are not available yet. Herein we summarized the latest advances on the biomedical and therapeutic applications of CNTs in vitro and in vivo for neurological diseases treatments as inherent therapeutic drugs. The biological mechanisms of CNTs-mediated bio-medical effects and potential toxicity of CNTs were also intensely discussed. It is expected that CNTs will exploit further neurological applications on disease therapy in the near future. Key words: Carbon nanotubes, Nervous system diseases, Drug delivery, Therapeutic drug, Inherent medication, Toxicity