Abstract

MATEO, Diego; MORALES, Paloma; AVALOS, Alicia  and  HAZA, Ana I. Gold nanoparticles: Applications and in vitro cytotoxicity. Acta toxicol. argent. [online]. 2013, vol.21, n.2, pp.102-109. ISSN 1851-3743.

In the recent years, the development of nanotechnology-based products has experienced a spectacular growth. Especially, gold nanoparticles have awoken a great interest in the biomedical and food sector, where their applications in cancer treatment as well as their incorporation in abrasion resistant and antimicrobial packaging have been described. Therefore, it is believed that human exposure to gold nanoparticles will increase considerably in the next few years, which may arise possible human health hazards. Hence, toxicology studies on nanoparticles revealed that their toxicity depends on various factors. Furthermore, there is some controversy regarding to gold nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity. Several in vitro studies have reported that gold nanoparticles are innocuous, while some investigations have demonstrated a cytotoxic response after the exposure to these. The aim of this review is to describe the most relevant properties of gold nanoparticles according to their possible applications in medicine and in food industry, as well as to provide information about their possible toxic effects, taking into account the cytotoxic in vitro studies published at present.

Keywords : Gold; Nanoparticles; Cytotoxicity; Cancer.

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