Widespread Nanoparticle-assay Interference: Implications for Nanotoxicity Testing

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2014 Mar 13

PMID 24618833

Citations 70

Authors

Kimberly J Ong

Tyson J MacCormack

Rhett J Clark

James D Ede

Van A Ortega

Lindsey C Felix

Michael K M Dang

Guibin Ma

Hicham Fenniri

Jonathan G C Veinot

Greg G Goss

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The evaluation of engineered nanomaterial safety has been hindered by conflicting reports demonstrating differential degrees of toxicity with the same nanoparticles. The unique properties of these materials increase the likelihood that they will interfere with analytical techniques, which may contribute to this phenomenon. We tested the potential for: 1) nanoparticle intrinsic fluorescence/absorbance, 2) interactions between nanoparticles and assay components, and 3) the effects of adding both nanoparticles and analytes to an assay, to interfere with the accurate assessment of toxicity. Silicon, cadmium selenide, titanium dioxide, and helical rosette nanotubes each affected at least one of the six assays tested, resulting in either substantial over- or under-estimations of toxicity. Simulation of realistic assay conditions revealed that interference could not be predicted solely by interactions between nanoparticles and assay components. Moreover, the nature and degree of interference cannot be predicted solely based on our current understanding of nanomaterial behaviour. A literature survey indicated that ca. 95% of papers from 2010 using biochemical techniques to assess nanotoxicity did not account for potential interference of nanoparticles, and this number had not substantially improved in 2012. We provide guidance on avoiding and/or controlling for such interference to improve the accuracy of nanotoxicity assessments.

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