Cytocompatibility of carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotubes in stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth

Carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT-COOH) presents unique properties due to nanoscale dimensions and permits a broad range of applications in different fields, such as bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the cytocompatibility of MWCNT-COOH with human stem cells is poorly understood. Thus, studies elucidating how MWCNT-COOH affects human stem cell viability are essential to a safer application of nanotechnologies. Using stem cells from the human exfoliated deciduous teeth model, we have evaluated the effects of MWCNT-COOH on cell viability, oxidative cell stress, and DNA integrity. Results demonstrated that despite the decreased metabolism of mitochondria, MWCNT-COOH had no toxicity against stem cells. Cells maintained viability after MWCNT-COOH exposure. MWCNT-COOH did not alter the superoxide dismutase activity and did not cause genotoxic effects. The present findings are relevant to the potential application of MWCNT-COOH in the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields.