Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
06:47
Toxicity Study of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Cell Culture and in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: September 19, 2019
Toxicological aspects for nanomaterial in humans
Maria Dusinska1, Zuzana Magdolenova, Lise Marie Fjellsbø
1NILU, CEE, Health Effects Group, Kjeller, Norway. maria.dusinska@nilu.no
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 17, 2012
Summary
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) show promise in nanomedicine but may cause adverse health effects. Further research is needed to understand ENM toxicity and adapt safety testing for reliable risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Nanomedicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Nanomedicine utilizes engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) for therapeutic advancements.
- Unique ENM properties offer significant potential for treating human disorders.
- However, these properties also pose risks of unintended adverse health effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss challenges and key issues in assessing the safety of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs).
- To highlight the need for understanding ENM interactions within biological systems.
- To emphasize the necessity of adapting existing toxicity tests for nanomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Review of current knowledge on ENM safety.
- Discussion of challenges in characterization, exposure, and hazard assessment.
- Analysis of gaps in understanding cellular uptake, transport, distribution, and toxicity mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding ENM biological interactions and toxicity mechanisms.
- Existing toxicity testing methodologies require adaptation for nanosized materials.
- Standardized controls and reference materials are crucial for accurate safety evaluations.
Conclusions:
- Rigorous safety testing of ENMs is essential before clinical application.
- Further research is required to elucidate ENM toxicity pathways.
- Adapting and validating toxicity tests are critical steps for ensuring nanomedicine safety.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Toxicity Testing in Animals
Toxicity tests in animals are grounded on two main assumptions: first, the effects observed in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans, especially when adjusted for body surface area; second, high-dose exposure in animals is essential to identify potential human hazards from lower doses. This is based on the quantal dose-response concept, which faces the challenge of extrapolating results from relatively few test animals to much larger human populations. For example, a 0.01% incidence...
01:26Toxic Reactions: Overview
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
01:36Types of Toxins
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
01:24Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions
Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...
01:21Toxicokinetics: Overview
Studies that assess how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted (ADME) at toxic doses are termed toxicokinetics. Understanding toxicokinetics helps predict adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and manage toxicity in humans.Toxicokinetics differs from pharmacokinetics mainly in the dose levels studied, with toxicokinetics focusing on higher toxic doses. The kinetics at these levels can be non-linear due to altered physiological processes. Toxicodynamics examines the relationship...
01:00Drug Toxicity: Overview
Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...