Cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles

Nanomaterials are now routinely used in technical as well as medical applications. The very physicochemical properties that favor nanomaterial application are the prime cause that these materials cannot be considered "generally safe." We are still far from predicting the toxicological profile of new nanoparticles, despite continuous attempts to establish a structure-function relation between the physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles and their interactions with biological systems. Herein, we summarize some basic concept to assess nanoparticle toxicity, death pathways, cell cycle, and oxidative stress in response to nanoparticle exposure of cells.