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Fabrication of Anisotropic Polymeric Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells for CD8+ T Cell Activation
Published on: October 12, 2018
Engineered nanomaterials cause cytotoxicity and activation on mouse antigen presenting cells
J Palomäki1, P Karisola, L Pylkkänen
1Unit of Excellence for Immunotoxicology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Toxicology
|November 10, 2009
Summary
This study investigated nanomaterial safety, finding zinc oxide and titanium dioxide induced immune cell death and inflammation. Carbon nanotubes showed minimal immunological effects, suggesting varied risks for different nanomaterials.
Area of Science:
- Immunotoxicology
- Nanomedicine Safety
- Cellular Immunology
Background:
- Nanomaterials offer product benefits but their human health safety, particularly immunological effects, remains largely unknown.
- Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are crucial for immune responses and potential targets for nanomaterial toxicity.
- Understanding nanomaterial interactions with APCs is vital for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro immunological effects of five distinct nanomaterials on mouse macrophages and dendritic cells.
- To compare the toxicity and immune-stimulating potential of titanium dioxide (TiO2), TiO2-silica, zinc oxide (ZnO), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT).
- To inform the risk assessment of nanomaterials used in consumer products.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of RAW 264.7 macrophages and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (bmDCs) to varying concentrations of five nanomaterials.
- Assessment of cell viability (cytotoxicity) using standard assays.
- Analysis of inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-1beta, IL-6, MIP-1alpha, TNF-alpha) and immune cell maturation/function markers.
Main Results:
- All tested nanomaterials exhibited cytotoxicity towards bmDCs; ZnO, TiO2, and TiO2-silica also induced dose-dependent macrophage death.
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) demonstrated the most potent immunotoxicity, significantly upregulating IL-1beta and CXCL-9.
- TiO2 and TiO2-silica enhanced macrophage maturation, antigen presentation, and co-stimulation, while SWCNT and MWCNT showed negligible immunological effects on these APCs.
Conclusions:
- Different nanomaterials exert distinct immunological effects on antigen-presenting cells, ranging from significant toxicity to minimal impact.
- Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-based nanomaterials pose potential risks due to their cytotoxic and immune-modulatory effects.
- Carbon nanotubes appear to have limited immunotoxicity on macrophages and dendritic cells, suggesting they may not target these specific immune cells.
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