Human enzyme breaks down potentially toxic nanomaterials

An international study based at the University of Pittsburgh provides the first identification of a human **enzyme** that can biodegrade **carbon nanotubes**—the superstrong materials found in products from **electronics** to **plastics**—and in laboratory tests offset the potentially damaging health effects of being exposed to the tiny components, according to findings published online in **Nature Nanotechnology**. The researchers found that **carbon nanotubes** degraded with the human enzyme **myeloperoxidase (hMPO)** did not produce the **lung inflammation** that intact nanotubes have been shown to cause. More on "Physorg":[ http://www.physorg.com/news189872027.html]

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