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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Bridging the Bio-Electronic Interface with Biofabrication
Published on: June 6, 2012
Multi-hierarchical profiling the structure-activity relationships of engineered nanomaterials at nano-bio interfaces
Xiaoming Cai1, Jun Dong2, Jing Liu3
1State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, School of Public Health, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
Abstract:
Increasing concerns over the possible risks of nanotechnology necessitates breakthroughs in structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) at nano-bio interfaces. However, current nano-SARs are often based on univariate assessments and fail to provide tiered views on ENM-induced bio-effects. Here we report a multi-hierarchical nano-SAR assessment for a representative ENM, Fe2O3, by metabolomics and proteomics analyses. The established nano-SAR profile allows the visualizing of the contributions of seven basic properties of Fe2O3 to its diverse bio-effects. For instance, although surface reactivity is responsible for Fe2O3-induced cell migration, the inflammatory effects of Fe2O3 are determined by aspect ratio (nanorods) or surface reactivity (nanoplates). These nano-SARs are examined in THP-1 cells and animal lungs, which allow us to decipher the detailed mechanisms including NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-dependent signaling. This study provides more insights for nano-SARs, and may facilitate the tailored design of ENMs to render them desired bio-effects.
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