title: Toxicity of inorganic nanomaterials in biomedical imaging.
abstract: Inorganic nanoparticles have shown promising potentials as novel biomedical imaging agents with high sensitivity, high spatial and temporal resolution. To translate the laboratory innovations into clinical applications, their potential toxicities are highly concerned and have to be evaluated comprehensively both in vitro and in vivo before their clinical applications. In this review, we first summarized the in vivo and in vitro toxicities of the representative inorganic nanoparticles used in biomedical imagings. Then we further discuss the origin of nanotoxicity of inorganic nanomaterials, including ROS generation and oxidative stress, chemical instability, chemical composition, the surface modification, dissolution of nanoparticles to release excess free ions of metals, metal redox state, and left-over chemicals from synthesis, etc. We intend to provide the readers a better understanding of the toxicology aspects of inorganic nanomaterials and knowledge for achieving optimized designs of safer inorganic nanomaterials for clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Jinxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Xueling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Zhanjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: zhaof@ihep.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yuliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000633:toxicity*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D045663:Quantum Dots; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002104:Cadmium; D006046:Gold; D007501:Iron
keywords: Gold nanoparticles; Inorganic materials; Iron nanoparticles; Medical imaging; Nanomedicine; Nanotoxicity; QDs; Upconversion nanoparticles