Carbon nanotubes are one of the leading-edge ingredients of the
nanotech revolution. The tiny, cylindrical tubes made of a
lattice of carbon atoms have potential as strengthening fillers
in products such as tennis racket handles and brake pads. At a
higher level, the tubes are being considered for use in
electronic devices such as display screens or as ultra-small
wiring in computer chips. Writing in the journal Nature
Nanotechnology, however, a group of researchers waves a
cautionary flag. The team found that when injected into the body
cavities of mice, long carbon nanotubes could behave in a way
similar to the way asbestos fibers behave, forming lesions that,
in the case of asbestos, lead to cancer. Shorter nanotubes did
not seem to have the potentially dangerous effect, and it's not
known whether the tubes can make their way to the mesothelium if
inhaled. "This is of considerable importance, because research
and business communities continue to invest heavily in carbon
nanotubes for a wide range of produc