Tumor photothermolysis: Using carbon nanomaterials for cancer therapy

Carbon nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties based solely on their small size, which makes them ideal for nano-oncology. While there have been tremendous advances in the current treatment of high-risk cancers, conventional treatment still causes harm to the surrounding healthy tissue. Carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, and graphenes have been increasingly used in the field of cancer photothermal therapy. Through surface functionalization, carbon nanomaterials can be specifically targeted to the tumorous tissue allowing for an increase in therapeutic potential. The unique photo-electron transfer features of carbon nanomaterials coupled with functional moieties, is proving useful for their use in the photothermolysis of cancer cells. © 2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston