Engineered nanoparticles interacting with cells: size matters.
With the rapid advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology, detailed knowledge of interactions between engineered nanomaterials and cells, tissues and organisms has become increasingly important, especially in regard to possible hazards to human health. This review intends to give an overview of current research on nano-bio interactions, with a focus on the effects of NP size on their interactions with live cells. We summarize common techniques to characterize NP size, highlight recent work on the impact of NP size on active and passive cellular internalization and intracellular localization. Cytotoxic effects are also discussed.
Li
L
Shang
Karin
K
Nienhaus
Institute of Applied Physics and Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Wolfgang-Gaede-Strasse 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. uli.nienhaus@kit.edu.
Gerd Ulrich
GU
Nienhaus
D000818:Animals; D004705:Endocytosis; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010316:Particle Size