Focus Network Nanoparticles and Health (NanoHealth)
Networks > Nanotoxicology
Contact
Dr. Wolfgang KreylingE-mail: kreyling@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Address
Helmholtz Zentrum München
Focus Network Nanoparticles and Health
Institute of Inhalation Biology
Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
D-85764 Neuherberg
Phone +49-(0)89/3187-2309
Fax: +49-(0)89/3187-3397
Nanotechnology is one of the key technology with great hopes in the future by science and technology, economy and politics. However, the associated toxicological risks are not yet understood. For timely risk assessments of the rapidly growing number of manufactured nanoparticles (NP) new and effective strategies need to be developed which take account of the physico-chemical NP properties and potential exposure routes during the life cycle of the individual NP and yet allows for a sufficiently comprehensive estimate of the modes of actions and effects of NP to biological systems (bio-molecules, body fluids, target cells and tissues and target organs). In fact we contribute to the development of this strategy on a national (DECHEMA), European (Nanosafe, SCENIHR) and international level (US-EPA, Oberdörster et al. 2006). At the same time biokinetic and toxicological studies are ongoing which investigate the dependence of accumulation and mode of action in biological target systems on physico-chemical NP properties with a special emphasis on the role of surface properties and their systematic modifications. Besides technologically relevant NP made of carbon (graphite, nanotubes, etc.), quantum dots, noble metals and metal oxides, bio-degradable nanocarriers for drugs in pharmacologic nanomedicine are under investigation.
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