Diabaté, Silvia

Weiss, Carsten

English

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nanomaterialsEditorialToxicology and Biocompatibility of NanomaterialsCarsten Weiss * and Silvia DiabatéCitation: Weiss, C.; Diabaté, S.Toxicology and Biocompatibility ofNanomaterials. Nanomaterials 2021,11, 3110. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11113110Received: 11 November 2021Accepted: 17 November 2021Published: 18 November 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralwith regard to jurisdictional claims inpublished maps and institutional affil-iations.Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This article is an open access articledistributed under the terms andconditions of the Creative CommonsAttribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing, Karlsruhe Institute ofTechnology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany;silvia.diabate@kit.edu* Correspondence: carsten.weiss@kit.eduIt is our great pleasure to introduce this Special Issue entitled “Toxicology and Bio-compatibility of Nanomaterials”. As the understanding of materials at the nanoscale andthe ability to control their structure improves, a wide range of nanomaterials (NMs) withnovel characteristics and applications are being fabricated for electronics, engineering, and,more recently, biomedical research applications. Although the technological and economicbenefits of NMs are obvious, concern has also been raised that the very same properties,which enable a variety of novel applications, might have adverse effects if such a materialis inhaled, ingested, applied to the skin or even released into the environment [1]. Theseconcerns have led to an increasing discussion worldwide about possible regulatory policiesfor NMs. Therefore, there is a clear need to establish convincing scientific knowledge toassess the impact of NMs on human health and the ecosystem. These questions can onlybe tackled by collaborative research at the interface of engineering, physics, chemistry,toxicology and biology, as outlined in our first Special Issue on the topic one decade ago [2].Meanwhile, the field of nanotoxicology has come of age, and is an established disciplinein toxicology.This Special Issue comprises six research articles and two timely reviews and coversresearch in the field of nanotoxicology, with a particular interest in molecular mechanismof action as well as the safe-by-design concept, i.e., the synthesis of biocompatible nano-materials. Additionally, the impact of the biomolecular corona, which is the interaction ofbiomolecules with the NM surface, on toxicity and biocompatibility, is addressed.The first study addresses the effects of ZnO NMs on blood glucose levels in healthyand diabetic rats and discusses potential clinical applications [3]. The following articlesare mainly in vitro studies with a focus on mechanisms of NM toxicity. Macrophagesare important targets of NMs; therefore, the understanding of molecular initiating eventsis of high relevance. A series of TiO2 NMs with different characteristics were studiedin rat alveolar macrophages and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is presented,highlighting the importance of case-to-case studies for proper hazard assessment [4]. Inmurine macrophages, the poorly understood mixture effects of co-pollutants and NMshas been investigated [5]. The authors demonstrate synergistic activities of silica NMsand genotoxic agents, thus reinforcing the notion that there is an urgent need to paymore attention to mixture effects in the future. Apart from the innate immune system,the gastrointestinal tract is an important target tissue. Therefore, the toxicity of silicaNMs is explored in gastrointestinal cells [6], specifically in the presence or absence ofserum, because the biomolecular corona has previously been shown to critically determinedetrimental effects in other cell types [7]. Although in the presence of serum even pro-proliferative effects have been shown in gastric cells [8], in the absence of serum, silicaNMs potently induce cell death in colon carcinoma cells; however, this is independent ofthe key regulators p53 and BAX, suggesting the potential for their further developmentas anticancer nanodrugs [6]. Although the field of nanotoxicology has matured andsolved most of the initial technical problems and challenges, there are still issues whichhamper proper hazard assessment. These include, but are not limited to, the reproducibleNanomaterials 2021, 11, 3110. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11113110 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterialsNanomaterials 2021, 11, 3110 2 of 3synthesis of NMs with clearly characterized physico-chemical properties [9], as well as theestablishment of more physiologically relevant test systems [10] and standard operatingprocedures for toxicity testing to provide comparable results across laboratories. Thus,fifteen European laboratories performed an inter-laboratory comparison to assess thetoxicity of polystyrene NMs with the widely used MTS assay and provide guidance onhow to improve reliable testing [11]. Finally, the interactions of CeO2 and TiO2 NMs andalgae were addressed in an ecotoxicity study, and the importance of the adherence of NMsto the test organism was identified as an important parameter to predict toxicity [12].Two reviews conclude this Special Issue. The first summarizes our knowledge ofairborne NMs and their potential adverse effects on the nervous system with a specificfocus on neurodegenerative diseases [13]. The final contribution provides a fresh outlookon positive aspects of NM actions in biological systems, i.e., their use in medicine as toolsto diagnose and treat cancer [14].In conclusion, we would like to thank all the authors for their interesting and excellentcontributions, and the many constructive reviewers and the editorial team who helpedto bring this Special Issue to fruition. We hope that a broad readership will enjoy thisSpecial Issue.Author Contributions: C.W. prepared the original draft, which was reviewed and edited by S.D.All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Funding: This article received no external funding.Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.Acknowledgments: We are grateful to Mirabelle Wang from Nanomaterials for her continuous sup-port. We are grateful to all the authors for submitting their studies to the present Special Issue andfor its successful completion. We deeply acknowledge the Nanomaterials reviewers for enhancing thequality and impact of all submitted papers.Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.References1. Gebel, T.; Foth, H.; Damm, G.; Freyberger, A.; Kramer, P.J.; Lilienblum, W.; Rohl, C.; Schupp, T.; Weiss, C.; Wollin, K.M.; et al.Manufactured nanomaterials: Categorization and approaches to hazard assessment. Arch. Toxicol. 2014, 88, 2191–2211. [CrossRef][PubMed]2. Weiss, C.; Diabate, S. A special issue on nanotoxicology. Arch. Toxicol. 2011, 85, 705–706. [CrossRef] [PubMed]3. Virgen-Ortiz, A.; Apolinar-Iribe, A.; Diaz-Reval, I.; Parra-Delgado, H.; Limon-Miranda, S.; Sanchez-Pastor, E.A.; Castro-Sanchez, L.;Jesus Castillo, S.; Dagnino-Acosta, A.; Bonales-Alatorre, E.; et al. Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induce an Adverse Effect on BloodGlucose Levels Depending on the Dose and Route of Administration in Healthy and Diabetic Rats. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 2005.[CrossRef] [PubMed]4. Kolling, J.; Tigges, J.; Hellack, B.; Albrecht, C.; Schins, R.P.F. Evaluation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activating Effects of a LargePanel of TiO2 Nanomaterials in Macrophages. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1876. [CrossRef] [PubMed]5. Dussert, F.; Arthaud, P.A.; Arnal, M.E.; Dalzon, B.; Torres, A.; Douki, T.; Herlin, N.; Rabilloud, T.; Carriere, M. Toxicity to RAW264.7Macrophages of Silica Nanoparticles and the E551 Food Additive, in Combination with Genotoxic Agents. Nanomaterials 2020,10, 1418. [CrossRef] [PubMed]6. Fritsch-Decker, S.; An, Z.; Yan, J.; Hansjosten, I.; Al-Rawi, M.; Peravali, R.; Diabate, S.; Weiss, C. Silica Nanoparticles Provoke CellDeath Independent of p53 and BAX in Human Colon Cancer Cells. Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 1172. [CrossRef] [PubMed]7. Leibe, R.; Hsiao, I.L.; Fritsch-Decker, S.; Kielmeier, U.; Wagbo, A.M.; Voss, B.; Schmidt, A.; Hessman, S.D.; Duschl, A.;Oostingh, G.J.; et al. The protein corona suppresses the cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory response in lung epithelial cellsand macrophages upon exposure to nanosilica. Arch. Toxicol. 2019, 93, 871–885. [CrossRef] [PubMed]8. Wittig, A.; Gehrke, H.; Del Favero, G.; Fritz, E.M.; Al-Rawi, M.; Diabate, S.; Weiss, C.; Sami, H.; Ogris, M.; Marko, D. AmorphousSilica Particles Relevant in Food Industry Influence Cellular Growth and Associated Signaling Pathways in Human GastricCarcinoma Cells. Nanomaterials 2017, 7, 18. [CrossRef] [PubMed]9. Mulhopt, S.; Diabate, S.; Dilger, M.; Adelhelm, C.; Anderlohr, C.; Bergfeldt, T.; Gomez de la Torre, J.; Jiang, Y.; Valsami-Jones, E.;Langevin, D.; et al. Characterization of Nanoparticle Batch-To-Batch Variability. Nanomaterials 2018, 8, 311. [CrossRef] [PubMed]10. Diabate, S.; Armand, L.; Murugadoss, S.; Dilger, M.; Fritsch-Decker, S.; Schlager, C.; Beal, D.; Arnal, M.E.; Biola-Clier, M.;Ambrose, S.; et al. Air-Liquid Interface Exposure of Lung Epithelial Cells to Low Doses of Nanoparticles to Assess PulmonaryAdverse Effects. Nanomaterials 2020, 11, 65. [CrossRef] [PubMed]Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 3110 3 of 311. Nelissen, I.; Haase, A.; Anguissola, S.; Rocks, L.; Jacobs, A.; Willems, H.; Riebeling, C.; Luch, A.; Piret, J.P.; Toussaint, O.; et al.Improving Quality in Nanoparticle-Induced Cytotoxicity Testing by a Tiered Inter-Laboratory Comparison Study. Nanomaterials2020, 10, 1430. [CrossRef] [PubMed]12. Hund-Rinke, K.; Sinram, T.; Schlich, K.; Nickel, C.; Dickehut, H.P.; Schmidt, M.; Kuhnel, D. Attachment Efficiency of Nanomateri-als to Algae as an Important Criterion for Ecotoxicity and Grouping. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1021. [CrossRef] [PubMed]13. Von Mikecz, A.; Schikowski, T. Effects of Airborne Nanoparticles on the Nervous System: Amyloid Protein Aggregation,Neurodegeneration and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1349. [CrossRef] [PubMed]14. Siemer, S.; Wunsch, D.; Khamis, A.; Lu, Q.; Scherberich, A.; Filippi, M.; Krafft, M.P.; Hagemann, J.; Weiss, C.; Ding, G.B.; et al.Nano Meets Micro-Translational Nanotechnology in Medicine: Nano-Based Applications for Early Tumor Detection and Therapy.Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 383. [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Toxicology and Biocompatibility of Nanomaterials : Editorial

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Toxicology and Biocompatibility of Nanomaterials : Editorial

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