Drosophila Model to Decipher the Toxicity of Nanoparticles

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, there is a significant advancement in the development of high-throughput therapeutic strategies and biotechnological upgradation in the fight against chronic microbial infections and infectious diseases. However, the increased incidence of antibiotic resistance and the solubility issues associated with naturally derived therapeutic drugs have propelled the scientific community to quest for novel platforms for the delivery of drug moieties that bypass the resistance mechanisms. In this context, the emergence of nanotechnological interventions could provide novel avenues for the controlled and site-specific delivery of drug candidates at the target sites by counteracting the resistance phenomenon. However, irrational and indiscriminate use of nanomaterials without any regulatory guidelines for the purpose of widespread applications could lead to severe toxicological implications to human and animal health, as well as have a profound impact on environmental sustainability. Hence, it is imperative to assess the toxicological profile of engineered nanomaterials before being considered for widespread applications across agriculture, biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors. The risk assessment of nanotoxicity could be implemented through both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Though, the in vitro systems seem to be easy and cost-effective, its reliability issues suggested to look for more reliable in vivo model system to assess the risk associated with the use of nanomaterials. The in vivo model system could provide ample research avenues for the biodistribution and bioaccumulation profile of administered nanomaterials in the in vivo model systems. Among the different in vivo model systems, Drosophila melanogaster has exhibited promising aspects such as short life span, ease of rearing, large progeny size, ease of handling, cost-effective experimentation, genetic tractability, genetic homology with human genetic system and less genetic redundancy for its candidature as promising model system for drug development, developmental biology and toxicity assessment. In this chapter, the advantages to use D. melanogaster as promising in vivo model system for the risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials have been discussed. The chapter also emphasizes the development of international surveillance system as well as regulatory bodies for the synthesis of different nanomaterials before being considered for its application and exposure to the environment.