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Updated: Jun 24, 2025
Advanced 3D Liver Models for In vitro Genotoxicity Testing Following Long-Term Nanomaterial Exposure
Published on: June 5, 2020
Hepatotoxicity of silver nanoparticles: Benchmark concentration modeling of an in vitro transcriptomics study in
Xiugong Gao1, W Evan Johnson2, Miranda R Yourick1
1Division of Toxicology, Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Despite two decades of research on silver nanoparticle (AgNP) toxicity, a safe threshold for exposure has not yet been established, albeit being critically needed for risk assessment and regulatory decision-making. Traditionally, a point-of-departure (PoD) value is derived from dose response of apical endpoints in animal studies using either the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) approach, or benchmark dose (BMD) modeling. To develop new approach methodologies (NAMs) to inform human risk assessment of AgNPs, we conducted a concentration response modeling of the transcriptomic changes in hepatocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) after being exposed to a wide range concentration (0.01-25 μg/ml) of AgNPs for 24 h. A plausible transcriptomic PoD of 0.21 μg/ml was derived for a pathway related to the mode-of-action (MOA) of AgNPs, and a more conservative PoD of 0.10 μg/ml for a gene ontology (GO) term not apparently associated with the MOA of AgNPs. A reference dose (RfD) could be calculated from either of the PoDs as a safe threshold for AgNP exposure. The current study illustrates the usefulness of in vitro transcriptomic concentration response study using human cells as a NAM for toxicity study of chemicals that lack adequate toxicity data to inform human risk assessment.
