Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter
20
Fishing to Design Inherently
Safer Nanoparticles
Lisa Truong, Michael T. Simonich, Katerine S. Saili, and Robert L. Tanguay
Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Environmental Health Sciences
Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
20.1 INTRODUCTION
Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field with a broad range of applications in
the electronics, healthcare, cosmetics, technologies, and engineering industries
(Forrest, 2001; Okamoto, 2001; Lecoanet et al., 2004; Lecoanet and Wiesner, 2004;
Sun, 2005). By manipulating matter at the atomic level, nanoparticles are precisely
engineered to exhibit desired physicochemical properties (Lecoanet et al., 2004).
These unique properties can be exploited to improve targeted drug delivery, diag-
nostics systems, therapeutics, and biocompatibility leading to advances in the
biomedical sciences (e.g., prosthetics, regenerative medicine, etc.). With so many
positive attributes, there are few studies addressing how or why nanoparticles interact
with biological systems. Without this knowledge, the full potential of nanotechnology
will not be realized.
Applications of nanotechnology will rapidly increase as nanomaterial innova-
tions occur. This will ultimately result in increased environmental and human
exposure to nanoparticles. At the forefront of any risk assessment is a need for basic
toxicological information, including characterizing how specific properties of
nanoparticles govern biological responses. Given the variety of new nanoparticles
being developed and marketed, this task requires systematic, collaborative
scientific investigations. Voluntary testing adopted while the industry is still young
might well avoid introduction of dangerous nanoparticles into the marketplace
and environment such as occurred with chemicals in previous decades (i.e.,
chlorofluorocarbons, commercial use of DDT, asbestos, or lead in gasoline and
paint products).
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