ABSTRACT
Oxidative stress is a widely accepted mechanism of toxicity for nanomaterials due to sustained generation of reactive oxygen species. Two crucial factors that determine particle toxicity, especially for engineered nanoparticles (NPs), are surface charge and particle size. Further in silico investigations have revealed that electrostatic attraction experienced by cationic NPs to cell membranes produces a favorable thermoenergetic environment for the cationic NPs to interact and bind with receptors in the cell membrane. Detailed accounts on the bioavailability and systemic distribution of NPs after they gain access to the bloodstream are available. NPs are known to exert a significant effect on body immunity. For example, quantum dots, were shown to accumulate in draining lymph nodes after intradermal injections, followed by uptake in macrophages and dendritic cells. An explanation can be the development of a protein corona on NPs once they gain access into the bloodstream.
