Allergy Nanomedicine: Buckyballs dampen response of cells that trigger allergic reactions

Scientists have shown that soccer ball–shaped carbon molecules, commonly called buckyballs, can block allergic responses in both human cells and mice. The findings point to a new way of treating allergies using these nanoscale particles.

In recent years, several labs have begun harnessing the unusual physical and chemical properties of buckyballs to develop new drugs and diagnostic tools (SN: 7/13/02, p.