Synergistic Effect of SiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles in Autophagy Modulation

Rapid advancements in nanotechnology have expanded its applications and synergistic impact on modern nanosystems. The comprehensive assessment of nanomaterials' safety for human exposure has become crucial and heightened. In addition to the characterization of cell proliferation and apoptosis, probing the implication of autophagy is vital for understanding the ramification of nanomaterials. Hence, HEK-293 kidney cells were employed to understand the changes in induction and perturbation of autophagy in cells by iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) and silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles. Interestingly, Fe₃O₄ worked as a potent modulator of the autophagy process through its catalytic performance, which can develop better than that of SiO₂ nanoparticles mechanism, stressing their therapeutic implication in the understanding of cell behaviors. The quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured along with the process of autophagy during cell growth. This modulated autophagy will help in cell fate determination in complementary therapy for disease treatment, provide a clinical strategy for future study.