Use of transgenic zebrafish as a tool to study nanomaterial inflammogenicity

该项目将使用斑马鱼评估纳米材料（NM）诱导的炎症反应，以确定斑马鱼是否是研究NM介导的炎症反应（例如中性粒细胞积聚）的有用（替代）工具。将对一组NM进行检测，以确定NM的理化性质是否影响其致病性。这将需要彻底表征所研究的NM的物理化学性质（例如，使用AFM、TEM、SEM、ICP-MS）。在可能的情况下，将使用最先进的显微镜观察和跟踪斑马鱼模型中的免疫细胞运动，并量化其积累。有益的是，这些NM中的一些诱导肺部炎症的能力已经在先前的体内（啮齿动物）研究中进行了测试。这将使我们能够确定斑马鱼是否是啮齿动物测试的适当替代品。

This project will use zebrafish to assess the inflammatory responses induced by nanomaterials (NMs) in order to identify if zebrafish are a uesful (alternative) tool to investigate NM mediated inflammatory responses (e.g. neutrophil accumulation). A panel of NMs will be tested to identify whether the physico-chemical properties of NMs influence their pathogenicity. This will require that the physico-chemical properties of the NMs under investigation are characterised thoroughly (e.g. using AFM, TEM, SEM, ICP-MS). Where possible state of the art microscopy will be used to visualise and track immune cell movement in zebrafish models, and to quantify their accumulation. Of benefit, is that the ability of some of these NMs to induce pulmonary inflammation has already been tested in previous in vivo (rodent) studies. This will allow us to identify whether zebrafish are an appropriate alternative to rodent testing.