Save Your Tears for the Toxicity Assays-Carbon Nanotubes Still Fooling Scientists.

ABSTRACT: The extensive study of carbon nanotube (CNT) toxicity stems from their widespread application across various fields. The toxicity of CNTs is commonly assessed using cell viability assays based on tetrazolium salts, such as the MTT assay. ISO 10993-5 outlines the MTT assay and related in vitro cytotoxicity tests as international standards. However, nearly two decades ago, it was observed that MTT interacts with CNTs, potentially yielding inaccurate results. Despite this, the MTT assay remains the most widely used method for studying CNT toxicity in vitro today. Here, we demonstrate that six commonly used tetrazolium salts in cell viability assays-MTT, MTS, INT, XTT, WST-1, and WST-8- interfere with both single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)

SUBMITTER: Suni J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11840583 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature