title: Transfer studies of polystyrene nanoparticles in theex vivohuman placenta perfusion model: key sources of artifacts.
abstract: Nanotechnology is a rapidly expanding and highly promising new technology with many different fields of application. Consequently, the investigation of engineered nanoparticles in biological systems is steadily increasing. Questions about the safety of such engineered nanoparticles are very important and the most critical subject with regard to the penetration of biological barriers allowing particle distribution throughout the human body. Such translocation studies are technically challenging and many issues have to be considered to obtain meaningful and comparable results. Here we report on the transfer of polystyrene nanoparticles across the human placenta using anex vivohuman placenta perfusion model. We provide an overview of several challenges that can potentially occur in any translocation study in relation to particle size distribution, functionalization and stability of labels. In conclusion, a careful assessment of nanoparticle properties in a physiologically relevant milieu is as challenging and important as the actual study of nanoparticle-cell interactions itself.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland; Perinatal Pharmacology, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grafmueller
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manser
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.affiliation: Powder Technology Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maurizi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pierre-André
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.affiliation: Powder Technology Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jochum
authors.affiliation: Empa, International Research Cooperations Manager, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Harald F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Krug
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buerki-Thurnherr
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Pharmacology, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: von Mandach
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wick
keywords: biological barrier; material characterization; nanoparticles