title: Are iron oxide nanoparticles safe? Current knowledge and future perspectives.
abstract: Due to their unique physicochemical properties, including superparamagnetism, iron oxide nanoparticles (ION) have a number of interesting applications, especially in the biomedical field, that make them one of the most fascinating nanomaterials. They are used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, in targeted drug delivery, and for induced hyperthermia cancer treatments. Together with these valuable uses, concerns regarding the onset of unexpected adverse health effects following exposure have been also raised. Nevertheless, despite the numerous ION purposes being explored, currently available information on their potential toxicity is still scarce and controversial data have been reported. Although ION have traditionally been considered as biocompatible - mainly on the basis of viability tests results - influence of nanoparticle surface coating, size, or dose, and of other experimental factors such as treatment time or cell type, has been demonstrated to be important for ION in vitro toxicity manifestation. In vivo studies have shown distribution of ION to different tissues and organs, including brain after passing the blood-brain barrier; nevertheless results from acute toxicity, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity investigations in different animal models do not provide a clear overview on ION safety yet, and epidemiological studies are almost inexistent. Much work has still to be done to fully understand how these nanomaterials interact with cellular systems and what, if any, potential adverse health consequences can derive from ION exposure.
authors.affiliation: DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology, Universidade da Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valdiglesias
authors.affiliation: DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology, Universidade da Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade da Coruña, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus A Zapateira s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández-Bertólez
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gözde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiliç
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Portuguese National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto 4000-055, Portugal; EPIUnit-Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, Porto 4050-600, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Portuguese National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto 4000-055, Portugal; EPIUnit-Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, Porto 4050-600, Portugal.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Portuguese National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto 4000-055, Portugal; EPIUnit-Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, Porto 4050-600, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Portuguese National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto 4000-055, Portugal; EPIUnit-Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, Porto 4050-600, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Joao
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bessa
authors.affiliation: DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology, Universidade da Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pásaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Portuguese National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto 4000-055, Portugal; EPIUnit-Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, Porto 4050-600, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology, Universidade da Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, A Coruña 15071, Spain. Electronic address: blaffon@udc.es.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laffon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C000499:ferric oxide
keywords: Epidemiological studies; In vitro studies; In vivo studies; Iron oxide nanoparticles; Toxicity