Chapter 13 - Toxicological aspects of nanomaterials in biomedical research

Abstract

Nanomaterials are used extensively in medicine owing to their size and unique properties. A number of engineered nanomaterials appear to be promising with regard to their applications in medicine such as targeted drug delivery, hyperthermia for cancer therapy, prosthetics, dentistry, tissue engineering, bone regeneration, and pharmaceuticals as well as in diagnostics and imaging. However, such nanomaterials may have undesirable effects in the body other than its intended use. Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and many metallic and nonmetallic nanoparticles have been reported to be toxic to cells in vivo and in vitro. These nanomaterials have been found to induce oxidative stress, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and biochemical alterations in several studies. Long-term exposure could lead to detrimental effects in humans such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Therefore, the safety against toxic effects of these nanomaterials is of utmost importance. Such effects can be neutralized using various strategies such as biocompatible materials, surface modification, and use of immunosuppressant nanoparticles. This chapter summarizes the toxicity of various nanomaterials used in biomedical applications as well as approaches to ameliorate their toxic side effects.