Do you mean cell membranes? Animals such as humans do not have cell walls outside of their cell membranes like many bacteria, plants, fungi etc.
Asbestos gets into our lungs, winds up poking us, and does a lot of damage on the way out. If it ever gets out. Some fibers can get stuck for years.
It's entirely mechanical. Any strong enough fiber of a similar size and shape will create the same class of problems.