The ability of nanoparticles to interact with biological materials means they may be harmful to humans and the environment. Current understanding of the potential toxicity of nanoparticles is limited, but research indicates that some of these products may enter the human body and become toxic at the cellular level, in various body fluids, tissues, and organs.

Recognizing a need to develop a rational, science-based approach to nanotoxicology, Dr. Andre Nel, Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), and his UCLA team have developed a new testing method to assess the safety and health risks of engineered nanomaterials.

They have developed a new testing method that would help manufacturers monitor and test the safety and health risks of engineered nanomaterials. They hope to predict which materials could be hazardous, and therefore speed up the process of classifying materials into those that are safe and those that could pose toxicity problems.

But even harmful nanoparticles could be helpful in the proper application. "An understanding of nanotoxicity could also lead to the harnessing of their properties such as using nanoparticles that initiate cell death to be used for targeted chemotherapy approaches," said Nel. (photo UCLA)