Nanobioinformatics: Emerging Computational Tools to Understand Nano-Bio Interaction
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NP) are being used in our daily life; these help humans in many ways; usage of these NP's have increased tremendously recently without knowing their complications or health problems they could lead to; these nanoparticles should be studied for their toxicities, because the nano-size properties of every element are found to vary from the element in micro size, and many nanoparticles were found to be highly reactive in their nano-size when compared to the micro-sized element. Study of these nano sized elements is needed now for their continued usage in medical fields for imaging, delivery of drugs, as sunscreens (cosmetic) etc. Development of prediction tools for nanotoxicity studies is a novel approach using the help of in-silico techniques by which one can predict the nature of a particular nanoparticle easily when compared to traditional methods like in-vivo in which animals are used as test organisms and in-vitro techniques in which cell lines are used. In using animals for testing for in-vivo techniques, ethical issues are raised, as animals are used as test organisms and many guidelines need to be followed. E.g., in using animals for toxicity studies, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has set guidelines for toxicity studies in guideline number 420, which says that only dosages of 50-2000 mg/kg body weight can be used for the study of toxicity. In-vitro studies of toxicity by using cell lines is also a very costly and time-taking process, and laborious work requiring skillful people for carrying out these studies, such as maintaining the cell lines properly, is a big challenge, and completing the toxicity studies on them is very difficult to accomplish. By using the in-silico tools for the predication one saves time, money, and even animals from sacrificing them, by which no ethical issues will be raised, and it's an easy process comparatively to in-vivo and in-vitro methods.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 16, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA570548
Entities
People
- U. S. Murty
Organizations
- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology