Chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes: emerging vectors for cell therapy.

Carbon nanotubes are widely used for biomedical applications as intracellular transporters of biomolecules, due to their high propensity to cross cell membranes. In this review we summarize the recent advancement in the functionalization of carbon nanotubes, focusing particular attention on the chemistry involved in the preparation of nanovectors for drug delivery systems, and on the physical and chemical properties that affect cellular up-take and biodistribution phenomena.