Application of carbon nanostructures in biomedicine: realities, difficulties, prospects

Abstract

The review systematizes data on the wide possibilities of practical application of carbon nanostructures. Much attention is paid to the use of carbon nanomaterials in medicine for the visualization of tumors during surgical interventions, in the creation of cosmetics, as well as in agriculture in the creation of fertilizers. Additionally, we demonstrate trends in research in the field of carbon nanomaterials with a view to elaborating targeted drug delivery systems. We also show the creation of nanosized medicinal substances and diagnostic systems, and the production of new biomaterials. A separate section is devoted to the difficulties in studying carbon nanomaterials. The review is intended for a wide range of readers, as well as for experts in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

Keywords:

• Fullerene
• carbon nanotubes
• graphene
• nanodiamond
• nanomedicine

Acknowledgments

Research was performed using the equipment of the Resource Centre ‘GeoModel,’ Interdisciplinary Resource Centre for Nanotechnology, Centre for Diagnostics of Functional Materials for Medicine, Pharmacology and Nanoelectronics, Magnetic Resonance Research Centre, Centre for Physical Methods of Surface Investigation; computational resources provided by Resource Centre ‘Computer Centre of SPbU’ and Centre for Chemical Analysis and Materials Research of the Research Park of Saint Petersburg State University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available on request from the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation ‘Molecular design and creation of drugs based on conjugates of carbon nanostructures, vectors of targeted delivery and cytotoxic agents for inactivation of stem tumour cells and components of the tumour microenvironment,’ No. EGISU:123021300231-8.