Endotoxin Contamination: A Key Element in the Interpretation of Nanosafety Studies

Abstract

The study of toxicity and potential risks of engineered nanoparticles is of particular importance in nanomedicine. Endotoxin, a common contaminant of bacterial origin, has biological effects that can mask the true biological effects of nanoparticles, if its presence is overlooked. In this review, we report the features of nanoparticle contamination by endotoxin, and the different biological effects of endotoxin-contaminated nanoparticles. We will describe different methods for endotoxin detection applied to nanoparticles, and discuss their pros and cons. Eventually, we describe various methods for eliminating endotoxin contamination in nanoparticles. Although there is no universal technique for efficiently removing endotoxin from nanoparticles, specific solutions can be found case by case, which can allow us to perform nanosafety studies in biologically relevant conditions.

Peptide–MHC-based nanomedicines for autoimmunity function as T-cell receptor microclustering devices

“…And gloves were sprayed with 70% ethanol. The levels of endotoxin in pMHC, NPs and pMHC-NPs were monitored using a chromogenic LAL endotoxin assay kit (Genscript) 54,55 . These steps effectively reduced levels of endotoxin in pMHC-NPs to <0.01 EU ml -1 (assay detection limit; EU, endotoxin units).…”

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Induced by Environmental and Psychological Stressors: A Biomarker Perspective

“…This is a very common event when ENM synthesis and handling are not carried out in endotoxin-free conditions (158). The presence of endotoxin can cause per se inflammation that may be erroneously attributed to ENM (88).…”

Industrial grade 2D molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ): an in vitro exploration of the impact on cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and inflammation

“…A549, AGS and THP-1 were used as the three representative cell lines to mimic the possible exposure routes and for consistency with other studies with nanomaterials (36). Endotoxin, or more commonly known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a large contributor to contamination of nanomaterials and when present can act as a stimulator of the inflammatory system (37,38). Nanoflakes produced for this study are different to the standard nanomaterials used for environmental nanosafety assessments (39).…”