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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Nanoparticle-induced apoptosis propagates through hydrogen-peroxide-mediated bystander killing: insights from a human
Anupama Thubagere1, Björn M Reinhard
1Department of Chemistry and The Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Abstract:
The ability to assess the risks of human exposure to engineered nanomaterials requires fundamental understanding of the fate and potential cytotoxicity of nonbiodegradable nanoparticles, for instance, after oral uptake. In this study, we quantify the impact of nanoparticles with low chemical toxicity on the intestinal membrane in a human intestinal in vitro model. Differentiated human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, Caco-2, were cultured on a permeable support where they form an epithelial monolayer separating an apical and basal compartment. This model system allows a systematic characterization of the effect of nanoparticles on the cell viability as a function of size, surface chemistry, concentration, and incubation time. We used polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (20 and 40 nm diameter) with two different surface chemistries (carboxylic acid and amines). The experiments performed show a strong decrease in cell viability as a response to nanoparticle exposure. Incubation times of
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