Nanotubos de carbono aplicados às neurociências: perspectivas e desafios

background: carbon nanotubes (cnts) are the most promising nanomaterials for therapeutic application in neurodegenerative diseases. potential applications include systems for controlled drug delivery, electrical interfaces and substrates for cell growth. objective: to describe the state of art, prospects and challenges of applying cnts in neuroscience. methods: there has been systematic search in medline, lilacs and scielo, using the keywords "carbon nanotubes", "drug delivery", "electrical interface", "tissue regeneration", "neuroscience", "nanotechnology" and "biocompatibility", properly grouped. results: the literature review showed controversies in studies on the biocompatibility of cnts, although it has ratified its potential for neuromedicine and neuroscience. discussion: these results highlight the need for modeling studies on the applications and interactions of nanostructures with biological systems.