Yadollah Omidi
1,2* 
1 Ovarian Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
2 Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Whole extermination of
cancerous cells/tissue seems no longer to be a dream. Exploiting
advanced photoactive nanomaterials such as functionalized fullerenes and
carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can act as CNT nanobombs (CNT-NBs) when exposed
to the near infrared (NIR) radiation. PEGylated CNTs tagged with an
antibody/aptamer can target cancer cells. Once attached to cancer cells,
the NIR emission (700-1100 nm), in which body tissues are mostly
transparent, can be applied to CNT-NBs which can absorb the light and
get heated up. The resultant enhanced temperature can abolish the
cancer. Once stealth CNT-NBs are tagged with imaging moieties, it would
be a matter of computer gaming for physician who can inject it for real
time visualization and destruction of cancer by activation of the NIR
laser. While, many nanosystems (NSs) are still in waiting list for
clinical translation, our dreams may come true by applying stealth
CNT-NBs against cancer.