Chemical, Structural, and Superstructural Determinants of Nanocarbon Toxicity

描述（由申请人提供）：由于职业和环境暴露于纳米材料对人类健康的不利影响是一个主要问题，并对其成功商业化和生物医学应用构成潜在威胁。要实现其商业潜力，需要更好地了解纳米材料与生物系统的相互作用，并制定管理人类健康风险的新战略。迫切需要进行毒理学筛选，以识别潜在的有害纳米材料；然而，它们广泛的可变性和独特的性质使传统的体外和体内毒性分析的解释复杂化。布朗大学的一个跨学科研究小组，包括一名材料科学家、一名毒理学病理学家和一名分子生物学家，已经开发出一组新型纳米材料和纳米毒理学分析的创新方法。该模型纳米材料面板将扩展到包括经过毒理学相关材料特性严格表征的选定商业材料。这项竞争性修订的目标是确定吸入后遗传毒性和潜在致癌性的碳纳米管的特定结构和表面特性。在光显微镜和超微结构水平上的新成像技术将用于研究纤维纳米材料与分裂细胞的相互作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adverse human health effects due to occupational and environmental exposure to nanomaterials are a major concern and a potential threat to their successful commercialization and biomedical applications. Realization of their commercial potential will require a better understanding of the interactions of nanomaterials with biological systems and the development of new strategies to manage human health risk. Toxicological screening is urgently needed to identify potentially hazardous nanomaterials; however their wide variability and unique properties complicate interpretation of traditional in vitro and in vivo toxicity assays. An interdisciplinary research team at Brown University including a materials scientist, a toxicologic pathologist, and a molecular biologist has developed a panel of novel nanomaterials and innovative approaches for nanotoxicology assays. This panel of model nanomaterials will be expanded to include selected commercial materials subjected to rigorous characterization of toxicologically relevant materials propertied. The goal of this competitive revision is to identify the specific structural and surface properties of carbon nanotubes responsible for the genotoxicity and potential carcinogenicity following inhalation. Novel imaging techniques at the light microscopic and ultrastructural levels will be used to study the interaction of fibrous nanomaterials with dividing cells. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research will lead to rational material design strategies for manufacturing of carbon nanotubes with minimal adverse human health impact.