Metallomics insights for in vivo studies of metal based nanomaterials

With the rapid development of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) and wide biomedical applications for new types of multifunctional NMs, an understanding of the behavior patterns of NMs in vivo and clarification of their potential health impact as a result of their novel physicochemical properties is essential for ensuring safety in biomedical applications of nanotechnology. NMs have heterogeneous characteristics in that they combine the bulk properties of solids with the mobility of molecules, and present phase transformation, dissolution, oxidation/reduction as well as nano-bio interface reactions in biological milieu, which affect their in vivo behaviors and biological effects. The accurate study of identification, quantification, transformation state of NMs and their biological effects in vivo remains a challenge. This review aims to provide a “metallomics” (an integrated metal-assisted function bioscience) insight into the in vivo behavior and biological effects of NMs, particularly for metal-based nanomaterials (MNMs) and is based mainly on our own research and other previous works.