Nanoparticles; Lung cell cultures; Chronic exposures; Co-exposures
Clift Martin J D, Dechézelles Jean-François, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara, Petri-Fink Alke (2015),
A biological perspective toward the interaction of theranostic nanoparticles with the bloodstream - what needs to be considered?, Frontiers in Chemistry, Switzerland.
Wick Peter, Chortarea Savvina, Guenat Olivier, Roesslein Matthias, Stucki Janick, Hirn Stephanie, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2015), In vitro-ex vivo model systems for nanosafety assessment, in
European Journal of Nanomedicine , 7(3), 169-179.
Chortarea Savvina, Clift Martin J D, Vanhecke Dimitri, Endes Carola, Wick Peter, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2015), Repeated exposure to carbon nanotube-based aerosols does not affect the functional properties of a 3D human epithelial airway model., in
Nanotoxicology, 1-11.
Kuhn Dagmar A, Vanhecke Dimitri, Michen Benjamin, Blank Fabian, Gehr Peter, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2014), Different endocytotic uptake mechanisms for nanoparticles in epithelial cells and macrophages., in
Beilstein journal of nanotechnology, 5, 1625-36.
Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara, Kuhn Dagmar A, Ali Zulqurnain, Gasser Michael, Amin Faheem, Parak Wolfgang J, Vanhecke Dimitri, Fink Alke, Gehr Peter, Brandenberger Christina (2014), Quantification of gold nanoparticle cell uptake under controlled biological conditions and adequate resolution., in
Nanomedicine (London, England), 9(5), 607-21.
Vanhecke Dimitri, Rodriguez-Lorenzo Laura, Clift Martin J D, Blank Fabian, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2014), Quantification of nanoparticles at the single-cell level: an overview about state-of-the-art techniques and their limitations., in
Nanomedicine (London, England), 9(12), 1885-900.
Behra Renata, Sigg Laura, Clift Martin J D, Herzog Fabian, Minghetti Matteo, Johnston Blair, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2013), Bioavailability of silver nanoparticles and ions: from a chemical and biochemical perspective., in
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface / the Royal Society, 10(87), 20130396-20130396.
Jud Corinne, Clift Martin J D, Petri-Fink Alke, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara (2013), Nanomaterials and the human lung: what is known and what must be deciphered to realise their potential advantages?, in
Swiss medical weekly, 143, 13758-13758.
Steiner Sandro, Mueller Loretta, Popovicheva Olga B., Raemy David O., Czerwinski Jan, Comte Pierre, Mayer Andreas, Gehr Peter, Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara, Clift Martin J. D. (2012), Cerium dioxide nanoparticles can interfere with the associated cellular mechanistic response to diesel exhaust exposure, in
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS, 214(2), 218-225.
Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara, Clift Martin, Jud Corinne, Fink Alke, Wick Peter (2012), Human epithelial cells in vitro – Are they an advantageous tool to help understand the nanomaterial-biological barrier interaction?, in
EuroNanoToxLetters, 4(1), 1-20.
Despite the many proposed advantages related to nanotechnology, there are increasing concerns as to the potential adverse human health and environmental effects that the production of, and subsequent exposure to nanotechnology related products might pose. In regards to human health, these concerns are founded upon the plethora of knowledge gained from research relating to the effects observed following exposure to environmental air pollution. With the ever increasing nanotechnology industry, it is not however, simply exposure to accidentally, mainly by combustion processes, produced nanoparticles (NPs) which should be approached with caution. Over the past decade, NPs have been specifically manufactured, or engineered, for a diverse range of consumer, industrial and technological applications, such as medicine, cosmetics, environmental remediation and information technology. Due to the inevitable exposure of NPs to humans, owing to their use in such applications, it is thus imperative that an understanding as how NPs interact with the human body is gained.Although both epidemiologic and animal studies are used, most commonly, attempts regarding the investigation of potential adverse effects of inhaled combustion-derived and engineered NPs are performed using lung cell cultures in vitro. Such experimental studies are predominantly based upon the exposure of NPs in suspension; however, it has been recognized during the last years that components in the media, such as serum and other proteins might lead to a change in NP agglomeration/aggregation status and thus a change of their surface properties (i.e. by the binding of proteins to the NP surface). In addition, the suspension scenario does not represent a realistic NP deposition as it occurs in the lung following their inhalation. Increased efforts have been made therefore, towards the use of sophisticated, dose-controlled NP exposure devices in combination with lung cell cultures at the air-liquid interface. However, so far, such studies have only considered acute exposures (i.e. a single exposure of NPs). In the first part of the proposed project (Section 2.3.A) (Work-package 1) we aim to optimize our established and advanced 3D cell culture models of the airway and alveolar epithelial barrier to be cultured at the air-liquid interface for a prolonged period (several days to weeks). These cultures will then be used to address the questions about differences in chronic (i.e. repeated exposures as well as prolonged exposures), and acute NP exposure toxicity. In addition, co-exposure studies are planned in the second part of the project (Section 2.3.B) (Work-package 2) to evaluate the effects of two different NPs when combined. One important question will be if the combination of two (or more) different NPs elicits a synergistic effect compared to the effect observed from the exposure of each individual NP alone. In addition, the susceptibility of lung cell cultures pre-exposed to diesel exhaust followed by exposure to engineered NPs will be studied. The aims of this proposal will be of great importance to gain new insights into the use of cell cultures to assess realistic exposure scenarios, (i.e. chronic exposures as well as co-exposures) since each situation is pertinent to the inevitable human interaction with accidental and engineered NPs.