Education and Information Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2010 Nov-Dec;2(6):569-77. doi: 10.1002/wnan.108.
Nanotechnology exploits the fact that nanoparticles exhibit unique physicochemical properties, which are distinct from fine-sized particles of the same composition. It follows that nanoparticles may also express distinct bioactivity and unique interactions with biological systems. Therefore, it is essential to assess the potential health risks of exposure to nanoparticles to allow development and implementation of prevention measures. Risk assessment requires data concerning hazard and exposure. Several challenges face the field of nanotoxicology in obtaining the necessary data for assessment of the bioactivity of nanoparticles. They include: (1) the vast number of nanoparticle types to be evaluated, (2) the need to use nanoparticle doses and structure sizes in cellular and animal test systems which are relevant to anticipated workplace exposures, and (3) artifactual in vitro results due to absorption of nutrients or assay indicator compounds from the culture media. This 'opinion' reviews the progress made in the field of nanotoxicology in recent years to overcome these challenges.
纳米技术利用了这样一个事实，即纳米颗粒表现出独特的物理化学性质，这与相同组成的细颗粒明显不同。因此，纳米颗粒也可能表现出不同的生物活性和与生物系统的独特相互作用。因此，评估接触纳米颗粒的潜在健康风险至关重要，这有助于开发和实施预防措施。风险评估需要有关危害和暴露的数据。在获得纳米颗粒生物活性评估所需的数据方面，纳米毒理学领域面临着几个挑战。它们包括：（1）需要评估的纳米颗粒类型数量庞大，（2）需要在细胞和动物测试系统中使用与预期工作场所暴露相关的纳米颗粒剂量和结构大小，以及（3）由于培养介质中营养物质或测定指示剂化合物的吸收而导致的体外假象结果。这篇“观点”文章回顾了近年来纳米毒理学领域为克服这些挑战所取得的进展。
