Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
Part Fibre Toxicol. 2011 Feb 9;8(1):8. doi: 10.1186/1743-8977-8-8.
With the increasing use of nanomaterials, the need for methods and assays to examine their immunosafety is becoming urgent, in particular for nanomaterials that are deliberately administered to human subjects (as in the case of nanomedicines). To obtain reliable results, standardised in vitro immunotoxicological tests should be used to determine the effects of engineered nanoparticles on human immune responses. However, before assays can be standardised, it is important that suitable methods are established and validated.
In a collaborative work between European laboratories, existing immunological and toxicological in vitro assays were tested and compared for their suitability to test effects of nanoparticles on immune responses. The prototypical nanoparticles used were metal (oxide) particles, either custom-generated by wet synthesis or commercially available as powders. Several problems and challenges were encountered during assay validation, ranging from particle agglomeration in biological media and optical interference with assay systems, to chemical immunotoxicity of solvents and contamination with endotoxin.
The problems that were encountered in the immunological assay systems used in this study, such as chemical or endotoxin contamination and optical interference caused by the dense material, significantly affected the data obtained. These problems have to be solved to enable the development of reliable assays for the assessment of nano-immunosafety.
随着纳米材料使用的增加,对于检查其免疫安全性的方法和检测的需求变得越来越迫切,特别是对于那些被故意施用于人体的纳米材料(如纳米药物)。为了获得可靠的结果,应使用标准化的体外免疫毒性检测来确定工程纳米颗粒对人体免疫反应的影响。然而,在能够标准化检测之前,建立和验证合适的方法非常重要。
在欧洲实验室的合作下,对现有的免疫学和毒理学体外检测进行了测试和比较,以确定它们是否适合检测纳米颗粒对免疫反应的影响。使用的典型纳米颗粒是金属(氧化物)颗粒,要么通过湿化学合成定制生成,要么以粉末形式商购获得。在检测验证过程中遇到了一些问题和挑战,包括生物介质中的颗粒团聚和检测系统的光学干扰,以及溶剂的化学免疫毒性和内毒素污染。
在本研究中使用的免疫学检测系统中遇到的问题,如化学或内毒素污染以及密集材料引起的光学干扰,严重影响了所获得的数据。为了开发用于纳米免疫安全性评估的可靠检测,必须解决这些问题。