Agenda
15:00–16:15 - Session 4: Biological Applications & Toxicity of Nanomaterials
Dr. Saber Hussain (AFRL Human Effectiveness Directorate), Chair
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15:00–15:15
Toxicity Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Human Health Impact of Future Nanotechnology
Saber Hussain, Andrew Wagner, Laura Braydich, Amanda Schrand, Craig Murdock, Christin Grabinski, and John Schlager
Applied Biotechnology Branch, Biosciences and Protection Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45434
Nanomaterials, which are defined functionally as have a single dimensional feature within the 1 - 100 nanometers range, have been used to create materials that exhibit novel physicochemical properties and function imparted through this engineered, controlled feature size. Although nanomaterials are currently being widely used in advancing technology, there is a serious lack of information concerning the human health and environmental implications of manufactured nanomaterials. The assessment of nanoparticle potential adverse impact should be a fundamental requirement before large-scale production and technological implementation of novel materials. In view of their possible effect on human health our main focus is to define and/or classify nanoparticles based on the nature of their toxicity. The physicochemical properties of engineered nanomaterials, may induce a pro-oxidant environment in the cells that may imbalance cellular redox potential, thereby leading to adverse biological consequences, which includes initiation of inflammatory pathways. The results in various mammalian cell culture models indicated that ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, morphological changes represent quantifiable toxicological responses for engineered nanomaterials. Further physicochemical properties of the nanomateirlas, particularly size, dimension, chrystallinity, chemical composition, charge, surface area, and surface energy determine the ROS generation capability under physiological condition. The main focus of this presentation will be to discuss basic research applied to discover biological interaction of nanomaterials and its relationship to potential human health concerns.
Cleared as AFRL-WS 06-0172.
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15:15–15:30
Biomedical Applications of Mesoporous Silica
Chung-Yuan Mou
Department of Chemistry and Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106
Biocompatible nanomaterials with magnetic and luminescence properties have recently become an attractive research field. One of the rapidly developing research subjects is their biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, magnetic hyperthermia therapy, targeted drug delivery, biosensors and rapid biological separation.
Because mesoporous silicas possess unique properties of high surface area, large pore volume, uniform pore size, and low cytotoxicity, multifunctional mesoporous composites that display both magnetic and luminescent functionalities would be very useful in biomedical applications. We have developed a series of functional mesoporous materials such as gadolinium-incorporated nanosized mesoporous silica (Gd-MS), FITC attached mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FITC-MSNs), and multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Mag-Dye@MSN). The magnetic property could be exploited in cell-sorting and MRI contrast agent. The fluorescence could be used in cell-image and mesopores could be used for drug deliver. We further investigate the applications of these nanoparticles in cell labeling (NIH3T3, stem cell, and cancer cell) and in vivo animal MR imaging. Cytotoxicity of the mesoporous silica materials was evaluated and littke toxicity effect was found. These porous nanoparticles promise to have great potential in cell-tracking and drug delivery.
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15:30–15:45
Modular Designed Functional Nanoparticles for Clinical Theranostics
Dar-Bin Shieh1, Cheng-Shen Yeh2, Yonhua Tzeng3,4
1Institute of Oral Medicine and Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology;
2Department of Chemistry and Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology;
3Institute of Nanotechnology and Microsystems Engineering and Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, Taiwan 70101
4Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 USA
Cancer cells express certain proteins on their surface different from their normal counterpart, and have been an important filed of study for molecular characterization and targeted therapy. Nano-materials usually display physical and chemical properties different from their bulk state and can be applied for biomedical applications of disease diagnosis and therapy, or even better, the theranostics approach. Combination of the two technology platform enabled improved molecular imaging and targeted delivery that may lead to better evidence based therapy and devoid of systemic side effects. We have integrated biotechnology and nanotechnology to implement self-assembled modular designed functional nanoparticles and nanocapsules. The functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles showed both in vitro and in vivo targeting of orthotopic tumor animal models through an genetic engineered or synthetic fusion peptide containing the targeting moiety and a “nanotag” motif that form a strong specific affinity to nanoparticles with their counterpart surface chemistry. Oral cancer lesions were contrast out after intravenous injection of the particles under T2 MR imaging sequence. The iron oxide nanorods with porosity interior structure were then implemented for controlled targeted delivery of gene and drug as encapsulated by polyelectrolytes through LbL methodology. The magnetic nanorods were able to exhibit controlled or sustained release mode depending on the surface treatment. In summary, modular design of targeting moiety, functional module and the nanoparticle enabled efficient implementation of the functional nanoparticles toward clinical applications. The concept of theranostics and trackable drug delivery are expected to further improve clinical diagnosis and therapy of human diseases.
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15:45–16:00
Nanoparticles in Biological System: from in vitro to in vivo Investigations
Chung-Shi Yang
Center for Nanomedicine Research, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli, Taiwan 35053
There has been exciting progress on the development of novel nano-scaled materials that are of valuable and interesting applications. This raises increasing concerns over the compatibility and safety of these nano-scaled materials to the biological system or to the ecological system. One of the specific aims of nanoscience and nanotechnology projects at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), supported by the National Science and Naotechnology Program Office, is to conduct the interdisciplinary research on the possible safety issues of the novel nanomaterials in biological entities. Currently, three major approaches are employed: (1) the establishment of a standard protocol of animals or cultured cells to the nanoparticle exposure; this protocol involves the setup of a exposure chamber that can mimic the exposure to airborne nanoparticles to living species; (2) the studies on the acute and chronic effects on in vitro cell cultures; the morphological and functional alteration upon the nanoparticle exposure will be observed, cell survival/apoptosis will be studied, and microarray-based toxicogenomic approach will be employed to profile the early safety of the nanoparticles. (3) studies on the acute and chronic effects on animals upon the exposure to nanoparticle; the biological fates including the adsorption distribution, metabolism and excretion, as well as the physiological condition and long-term health status will be examined and followed up. In this presentation, we will present the results of a systemic study of the nanoparticles exposure from the in vitro cell level to in vivo animals, employing quantum dots as an example.
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16:00–16:15
Nanoscience and nanaotechnology research at National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan
N. J. Ho
Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and Department of Materials Science and Optoelectronics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China
National Sun Yat-Sen University has engaged in an international collaboration initiative that would bring excellent groups together to work on relevant subjects of modern time. This covers a wide spectrum of academic discipline and the Center of Nanoscience and Naotechnology is among the most active in this joint effort pursuit. For example, the collaborations between the University of Houston’s Texas Center for Superconductivity, which is funded by the SPRING program, and Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics in Berlin all have proved to be very productive and effective in both scientific discovery and education of students. In this talk, I will use examples in nanofabrications of nanostructures and nano-scale characterizations to give a general overview of all endeavors taking place in the campus and how such international efforts have worked.
