title: In vivo biocompatibility of boron nitride nanotubes: effects on stem cell biology and tissue regeneration in planarians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) represent an extremely interesting class of nanomaterials, and recent findings have suggested a number of applications in the biomedical field. Anyhow, extensive biocompatibility investigations are mandatory before any further advancement toward preclinical testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we report on the effects of multiwalled BNNTs in freshwater planarians, one of the best-characterized in vivo models for developmental biology and regeneration research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obtained results indicate that BNNTs are biocompatible in the investigated model, since they do not induce oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis, and do not show adverse effects on planarian stem cell biology and on de novo tissue regeneration. In summary, collected findings represent another important step toward BNNT realistic applications in nanomedicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 4, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 4, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 4, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iacopetti
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), Namiki 1-1, 305-0044 Tsukuba (Ibaraki), Japan.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitti
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera (Pisa), Italy.
authors.forename: Virgilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mattoli
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), Namiki 1-1, 305-0044 Tsukuba (Ibaraki), Japan.
authors.forename: Dmitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Golberg
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera (Pisa), Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciofani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008422:Materials Testing; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000633:toxicity*; D010932:Planarians / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001896:Boron Compounds; C017282:boron nitride
keywords: DNA damage; blastema; boron nitride nanotubes; oxidative stress; planarians