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Probing the Cytotoxicity of Nanoparticles: Experimental Pitfalls and Artifacts

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Measuring Biological Impacts of Nanomaterials

Part of the book series: Bioanalytical Reviews ((BIOREV,volume 5))

Abstract

Throughout the last years, a huge variety of different nanoparticle formulations have been studied with the aim to assess their harmlessness in biological systems, to elucidate how the morphological features govern their impact on cells, and to develop cell labeling strategies for biomedical purposes. Most of such studies are based on the use of various cell viability assays. Interestingly, different results – even contradictory ones – have been observed between the groups, even though the respective nanoparticle formulations were more or less similar. One possible reason for such discrepancies is the occurrence of specific interactions between the nanoparticles and the ingredients of the respective cell viability assays. A similar situation can be encountered when researchers investigate the labeling of (stem) cells for biomedical purposes. Hereto, different labeling efficiencies were observed with the corresponding effects on cell viability and functionality. Therefore, the present review focuses on potential pitfalls and artifacts associated with the cytotoxicity evaluation of nanomaterials.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under the contract number HI 698/7-2, HI 698/8-2, and HI 698/11-2 and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, Project “NanoMed”). The own data on potential cell viability assay artifacts are based on nanoparticles synthesized by Chemicell, Berlin, Germany, Dr. Rudolf Herrmann, University of Augsburg, Germany, Oskar Köhler (M.S.) University of Mainz, Germany, and Isabel Schick (M.S.), University of Mainz, Germany. We gratefully acknowledge valuable contribution of Susann Burgold and Julia Göring.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie I des Klinikums der Friederich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Bachstraße 18, D-07740, Jena, Germany

    Jenny Domey, Lisa Haslauer, Ina Grau, Claudia Strobel, Melanie Kettering & Ingrid Hilger

  2. Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie I des Klinikum der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Forschungszentrum Lobeda, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747, Jena, Germany

    Ingrid Hilger

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  1. Jenny Domey
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  2. Lisa Haslauer
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  3. Ina Grau
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  4. Claudia Strobel
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  5. Melanie Kettering
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  6. Ingrid Hilger
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Correspondence to Ingrid Hilger .

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  1. University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Joachim Wegener

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Domey, J., Haslauer, L., Grau, I., Strobel, C., Kettering, M., Hilger, I. (2013). Probing the Cytotoxicity of Nanoparticles: Experimental Pitfalls and Artifacts. In: Wegener, J. (eds) Measuring Biological Impacts of Nanomaterials. Bioanalytical Reviews, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/11663_2013_8

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