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 and Eliana B. Souto
Additional contact information
Aleksandra Zielińska: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Beatriz Costa: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Maria V. Ferreira: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Diogo Miguéis: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Jéssica M. S. Louros: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Alessandra Durazzo: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Massimo Lucarini: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Piotr Eder: Department of Gastroenterology, Dietetics and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland
Marco V. Chaud: Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, University of Sorocaba—UNISO, Sorocaba 18023-000, Brazil
Margreet Morsink: Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Niels Willemen: Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Patrícia Severino: Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women& Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Antonello Santini: Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Eliana B. Souto: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-22

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 (TiO 2 NPs) 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.

Keywords: nanotoxicology; nanosafety; nanomaterials; risk assessment; toxicity tests; nanoparticles; human health; Safety-by-Design; biological systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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