Mechanisms of toxicity caused by carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), the highly representative products of nanotechnology, induce macrophage cell death and NLRP3 inflammasome activation leading to granuloma and mesothelioma in rodents; however, it remains unknown how macrophages recognize MWCNTs. By a target screening of phagocyte receptors, we here demonstrated that T cell immunoglobulin mucin 4 (Tim4) and Tim1 recognize MWCNTs. Using Tim4^-/- Tim1^-/- mice, we revealed that Tim4 is involved in MWCNT-associated pathogenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that Tim4 and Tim1 are receptors for MWCNTs.