Mechanisms of bioreactivity of engineered nanoparticles with pulmonary gas exchange barrier

纳米技术是一个迅速崛起的科学领域，涉及到合成小于头发丝宽度的工程纳米粒子（即小于100纳米的大小）。纳米粒子被加工成更大的无害产品；它们被用于工程、医药、化妆品和许多其他日常产品中。纳米粒子具有独特的性质，这使它们在生产新产品方面非常有吸引力和有用；然而，不幸的是，使它们独特的属性可能会对健康产生影响。我们对接触这些材料的危害或风险知之甚少，因为它们太新了。由于纳米技术发展如此之快，因此确定纳米颗粒是否可能有毒或对健康或环境产生有害影响是很重要的。如果我们知道这一点，我们就可以保护人类和环境免受辐射。我们知道，当易感人群暴露在含有纳米级颗粒的高水平空气污染中时，他们可能会出现心肺问题，不得不去医院，甚至可能死亡。这表明，吸入非常小的纳米级工程颗粒可能会导致心脏和肺部问题，尽管它们与空气污染颗粒具有非常不同的特性。目的是发现吸入的工程纳米颗粒是否有害，如果它们到达肺部脆弱的气囊，是否会引起呼吸或心脏问题。我们将使用排列在人体肺部和肺部血管上的细胞。这些细胞将暴露在纳米颗粒中，以发现它们是否有毒，如果有毒，毒性有多大，为什么有毒？暴露在外的细胞会释放可能引起炎症或凝血的分子吗？我们想知道这些粒子的什么特性会使它们变得危险——它们是锋利的，还是会进入细胞内，或者在细胞之间，或者是否有任何特定的表面化学物质导致纳米粒子的毒性？我们将在独特的显微镜下观察纳米粒子，看看它们是如何改变细胞行为的。我们希望了解吸入的经过改造的纳米颗粒是否可能有害。如果是的话，有没有可能制造出无害的粒子呢？这些信息将使我们能够提供关于吸入工程纳米颗粒可能存在的风险的指导方针，以及防止暴露，特别是在工作中，那里的水平可能很高。

Nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging area of science involving synthesis of engineered nanoparticles that are less that the width of a hair (ie less than 100 nanometres in size). Nanoparticles are processed to form larger products which are not harmful; they are used in engineering, medicine, cosmetics and many other day-to-day products. Nanoparticles have unique properties which make them very attractive and useful in producing new products; however, the properties that make them unique may unfortunately have health effects. We know very little about the hazards or risks associated with exposure to these materials because they are so new. As nanotechnology is moving so fast it is important to establish whether nanoparticles are likely to be toxic or to have unwanted health or environmental effects. If we know this we can protect people and the environment from exposure. We know that when susceptible individuals are exposed to high levels of air pollution which contains nano-sized particles they may develop heart and lung problems and have to go to hospital and might even die. This suggests that inhalation of very small, nanosized engineered particles might cause heart and lung problems, although they have very different properties to air pollution particles. The aim is to discover whether inhaled engineered nanoparticles are harmful and whether they cause breathing or heart problems if they reach the delicate air sacs of the lung. We will use cells that line human lungs and the blood vessels of the lung. These cells will be exposed to the nanoparticles to discover whether the they are toxic and if so, how toxic and why? Do the exposed cells release molecules that might cause inflammation or blood clotting? We want to know what properties of the particles make them dangerous - are they sharp, or do they pass into the cells, or between the cells or are any particular surface chemicals responsible for nanoparticle toxicity? We will watch nanoparticles under a unique microscope to see how they alter cell behaviour. We hope to learn whether inhaled, engineered nanoparticles are likely to be harmful. If they are, is it possible to make particles that are not harmful? This information will allow us to provide guidelines on the possible risks of inhaling engineered nanoparticles, as well as preventing exposure, particularly at work, where levels may be high.