Nanotoxicology and Nanosafety: Safety-By-Design and Testing at a Glance.

Aleksandra Zielińska, Beatriz Costa, Maria V Ferreira, Diogo Miguéis, Jéssica M S Louros, Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini, Piotr Eder, Marco V Chaud, Margreet Morsink, Niels Willemen, Patrícia Severino, Antonello Santini, Eliana B Souto

Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health 2020;17(13):4657

PMID: 32605255

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Abstract

This review offers a systematic discussion about nanotoxicology and nanosafety associated with nanomaterials during manufacture and further biomedical applications. A detailed introduction on nanomaterials and their most frequently uses, followed by the critical risk aspects related to regulatory uses and commercialization, is provided. Moreover, the impact of nanotoxicology in research over the last decades is discussed, together with the currently available toxicological methods in cell cultures (in vitro) and in living organisms (in vivo). A special focus is given to inorganic nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiONPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In vitro and in vivo case studies for the selected nanoparticles are discussed. The final part of this work describes the significance of nano-security for both risk assessment and environmental nanosafety. "Safety-by-Design" is defined as a starting point consisting on the implementation of the principles of drug discovery and development. The concept "Safety-by-Design" appears to be a way to "ensure safety", but the superficiality and the lack of articulation with which it is treated still raises many doubts. Although the approach of "Safety-by-Design" to the principles of drug development has helped in the assessment of the toxicity of nanomaterials, a combination of scientific efforts is constantly urgent to ensure the consistency of methods and processes. This will ensure that the quality of nanomaterials is controlled and their safe development is promoted. Safety issues are considered strategies for discovering novel toxicological-related mechanisms still needed to be promoted.

Address: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.; Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 32, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.; Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.; CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy.; Department of Gastroenterology, Dietetics and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland.; Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, University of Sorocaba-UNISO, Sorocaba 18023-000, Brazil.; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.; Translational Liver Research, Department of Medical Cell BioPhysics, Technical Medical Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands.; Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands.; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.; Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands.; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.; Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology Laboratory (LNMed), Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), University of Tiradentes (Unit), Av. Murilo Dantas, 300, Aracaju 49010-390, Brazil.; Tiradentes Institute, 150 Mt Vernon St, Dorchester, MA 02125, USA.; Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy.; Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.; CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134657

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MeSH Terms: Drug Approval, Metal Nanoparticles, Nanostructures, Risk Assessment, Silver, Toxicology