Developing Experimental Approaches for the Evaluation of Toxicological Interactions of Nanoscale Materials

Abstract : The emerging ability to manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic levels has allowed materials scientists to create an array of potential new commercial products. These manufactured nanomaterials can possess novel chemical and physical properties that cannot be predicted based on our current understanding of their behavior in large bulk forms. The potential for manufactured nanomaterials to interact with biological systems in adverse ways is attracting intense interest in the toxicology community, and studies are beginning to appear in the literature addressing health and safety issues associated with nanotechnology. The unique chemical and physical properties of nanomaterials present special challenges to the toxicologist attempting to design studies to accurately and reproducibly identify adverse biological interactions.