Tissue-specific direct microtransfer of nanomaterials into Drosophila embryos as a versatile in vivo test bed for nanomaterial toxicity assessment

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 9; no. Issue 1; pp. 2031 - 2041
• Main Authors: Rinaldi, Carlos, Carrero-Martinez, Franklin, Herrera, Adriana, Vega-Alvarez, Sasha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2014; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Press; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Assay - instrumentation; carbon nanotube; Cell cycle; Chemical engineering; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Embryonic development; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Embryonic Development - physiology; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Gold; Insects; iron oxide; Microinjections - instrumentation; Micromanipulation - instrumentation; microtransfer; Nanomaterials; nanoparticle; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Nanoparticles - toxicity; nanotoxicity; Neuropeptides; Neurosciences; Organisms; Original Research; Physiological aspects; Quantum dots; Regulation; Silver; Titanium; titanium dioxide; Toxicity Tests - instrumentation; Puerto Rico; United States > US; gold; iron oxide; carbon nanotube; nanotoxicity; Drosophila; nanoparticle; titanium dioxide; silver; microtransfer
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S56459

Nanomaterials are the subject of intense research, focused on their synthesis, modification, and biomedical applications. Increased nanomaterial production and their wide range of applications imply a higher risk of human and environmental exposure. Unfortunately, neither environmental effects nor toxicity of nanomaterials to organisms are fully understood. Cost-effective, rapid toxicity assays requiring minimal amounts of materials are needed to establish both their biomedical potential and environmental safety standards. Drosophila exemplifies an efficient and cost-effective model organism with a vast repertoire of in vivo tools and techniques, all with high-throughput scalability and screening feasibility throughout its life cycle. Here we report tissue specific nanomaterial assessment through direct microtransfer into target tissues. We tested several nanomaterials with potential biomedical applications such as single-wall carbon nanotubes, multiwall carbon nanotubes, silver, gold, titanium dioxide, and iron oxide nanoparticles. Assessment of nanomaterial toxicity was conducted by evaluating progression through developmental morphological milestones in Drosophila. This cost-effective assessment method is amenable to high-throughput screening.