Carbon nanomaterials have been hailed as potential drug carriers and biosensors, so it is important to understand how they interact with human cells. Scientists in China have studied the interaction of C60 nanoparticles (NPs) with human red blood cells and found that they made the cell membrane become “softer and easier to break”. They were able to successful model this, and predict the effect of a given amount of NPs. The finding could be used to determine appropriate dosage levels of C60 NPs in medical applications for maximum therapeutic effect with the minimum toxicity.
Read more about this fascinating work in this HOT PCCP article:
Mechanical characteristics of human red blood cell membrane changing due to C60 nanoparticles infiltration
Yue Zheng
DOI: 10.1039/C2CP42850D
