Abstract
Nanotechnology has evolved to play a prominent role in our economy. Increased use of nanomaterials poses potential human health risk. It is therefore critical to understand the nature and origin of the toxicity imposed by nanomaterials (nanotoxicity). In this article we review the toxicity of the transition metal oxides in the 4th period that are widely used in industry and biotechnology. Nanoparticle toxicity is compellingly related to oxidative stress and alteration of calcium homeostasis, gene expression, pro-inflammatory responses, and cellular signaling events. The precise physicochemical properties that dictate the toxicity of nanoparticles have yet to be defined, but may include element-specific surface catalytic activity (e.g., metallic, semiconducting properties), nanoparticle uptake, or nanoparticle dissolution. These in vitro studies substantially advance our understanding in mechanisms of toxicity, which may lead to safer design of nanomaterials.
Recommended Citation
Y. Huang et al., "Toxicity of Transition Metal Oxide Nanoparticles: Recent Insights from in vitro Studies," Materials, vol. 3, no. 10, pp. 4842 - 4859, MDPI, Oct 2010.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/ma3104842
Department(s)
Biological Sciences
Keywords and Phrases
Calcium Homeostasis; Metal Oxides; Nanoparticle Toxicity; Physicochemical Property; Semi-Conducting Property; Surface Catalytic Activity; Transition Metal Oxide Nanoparticles; Transition-Metal Oxides; Calcium; Gene Expression; Nanoparticles; Nanostructured Materials; Oxidative Stress; Physiology; Signal Transduction; Toxicity
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1996-1944
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2010 The Authors, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2010
PubMed ID
28883356
