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Review
Journal of
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Vol. 19, 1889–1907, 2019
www.aspbs.com/jnn
Toxicity Concerns of Therapeutic Nanomaterials
Rubbel Singla, Chandni Sharma, Ashish K. Shukla, and Amitabha Acharya
∗
Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061 (H.P.), India;
Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061 (H.P.), India
In the modern era, research on the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) has been growing exponentially.
Due to their small size together with extra-ordinary physico-chemical properties, a variety of NPs
i.e., metallic, carbon-based, fluorescent, and polymer-based have been exploited in different fields
such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and various other therapeutic applications. Instead of
multi-disciplinary applications of NPs, research dealing with the toxicity concerns and influence of
such materials, on the public health, plants and environment is still in its infancy. NPs can cause
damage at the cellular, sub-cellular, molecular and protein levels owing to their extremely small size,
large surface area to volume ratio, shape, and surface functionality. The present review is aimed
to provide wide-ranging information related to NPs toxicology, the mechanisms of action, routes of
their entry into the body and probable impacts on human health. Understanding of NPs entry routes
into the body entails further research so as to update policymakers and regulatory bodies about
the toxicity concerns associated with these nanomaterials. Proper characterization of NPs, factors
affecting uptake and toxicity of NPs, as well as an understanding of processes when NPs come in
contact with living beings, is critical to estimate the possible hazards.
Keywords: Metallic Nanoparticles, Polymeric Nanoparticles, Carbon Nanomaterials, Toxicity,
Routes of Administration.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction ........................................ 1889
2. Toxicity of Metallic Nanoparticles ....................... 1890
2.1. Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs) ....................... 1890
2.2. Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) ...................... 1891
2.3. Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) ................ 1891
2.4. Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO
2
NPs) ........... 1892
2.5. Copper Oxide Nanoparticles (CuO NPs) .............. 1892
2.6. Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (Fe
2
O
3
and Fe
3
O
4
NPs) ....... 1893
2.7. Other Metallic Nanoparticles ....................... 1893
3. Toxicity of Fluorescent Nanomaterials ................... 1894
4. Toxicity of Polymeric Nanoparticles ..................... 1895
4.1. Synthetic Polymeric Nanoparticles ................... 1895
4.2. Natural Polymeric Nanoparticles .................... 1896
5. Toxicity of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials .................. 1896
6. Toxicity of 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMD)
Nanoparticles ....................................... 1898
7. Routes of NPs Entry into the Body and Toxicity
Mechanisms ........................................ 1901
8. Factors Affecting Toxic Behaviour of NPs ................ 1902
9. Concluding Remarks ................................. 1903
Acknowledgments ................................... 1903
References and Notes ................................ 1903
∗
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
1. INTRODUCTION
The development of nanotechnology and the formation of
nanoparticles (NPs) have skyrocketed in the global world.
NPs possess large surface area to volume ratio, small size
and various other thermal and mechanical characteristics
that facilitate their biological applicability different from
their bulk counterparts.
1
When these bulk constituents are
broken down into smaller particles, their properties and
surface behaviour fluctuates abruptly which is responsi-
ble for increasing the reactivity of NPs.
2
In the past few
decades, the applicability of NPs has risen beyond a cer-
tain limit in various biomedical applications such as drug
delivery, diagnosis, therapy, and tissue engineering in the
clinical medicine.
3 4
In-spite of thousand benefits of NPs,
it is pre-requisite to look on the other side to investigate
the potential adverse consequences of these NPs after their
exposure to humans and the environment.
5
The use of several kinds of NPs is flourishing in
therapeutics, those results in their rapid accumulation
into the environment during synthesis, usage and waste
removal.
6
Nano-toxicology, a new field came into origin
only recently years after the various NPs had already been
J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 2019, Vol. 19, No. 4 1533-4880/2019/19/1889/019 doi:10.1166/jnn.2019.16502 1889