Nanomaterial Toxicity Core

A key issue in evaluating the utility of nanomaterials is assessing their potential toxicity - either due to their inherent chemical composition (e.g., heavy metals) or as a consequence of their nanoscale properties (e.g., inhalation of particulate carbon nanotubes). The Toxicity Core (TC) proposed here will therefore provide the MIT-Harvard CCNE investigators with the ability to rapidly characterize the potential toxicity of novel nanotechnology formulations using a panel of in vitro and in vivo assays. The Toxicity Core will be directed by Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia (MIT/BWH) in collaboration with the Mouse Models Core. Models of basal and tissue-specific toxicity (endothelial, liver, and macrophage) will be available to test approximately 100 formulations per year in vitro, and a subset of these will be tested in mice with the input of veterinary pathologist Dr. Rod Bronson. Promising formulations will be subsequently submitted to the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory for full characterization through the formal application process or independently characterized by Charles River Laboratories. For more information about the Toxicity Core, visit http://nanotoxcore.mit.edu/