Issue 1, 2019

Emerging investigator series: interactions of engineered nanomaterials with the cell plasma membrane; what have we learned from membrane models?

Abstract

With the increasing industrial and biomedical applications of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), concerns have been raised regarding the increased risk of exposure. Exposure to ENMs can potentially lead to adverse health effects including cell toxicity. The plasma membrane, a lipid bilayer surrounding all cells, is the first cellular entity that comes into contact with foreign particles, and membrane damage by ENMs is one of the potential mechanisms through which ENMs induce cytotoxicity. In recent years, significant effort has been focused on elucidating the complex interactions at the particle–plasma membrane interface. Such studies have primarily relied on membrane models to tease out what particle physicochemical properties might perturb the structure and function of the cell plasma membrane. However, the diversity of membrane models has made it difficult to translate the results obtained from studies with one model to another and ultimately to live cells. This review summarizes the current knowledge on ENM–plasma membrane interactions based on studies in membrane models including lipid monolayers, supported lipid bilayers, and lipid vesicles. The mechanisms of membrane disruption by the ENMs in each model have been discussed in detail and the role of the membrane model itself in modulating the results has been described. In addition, results in membrane models have been compared with the current knowledge about cells. Finally, some of the challenges toward improving the current membrane models and enhancing the environmental relevance of studies are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Emerging investigator series: interactions of engineered nanomaterials with the cell plasma membrane; what have we learned from membrane models?

Article information

Article type
Tutorial Review
Submitted
14 Maijs 2018
Accepted
16 Okt. 2018
First published
16 Okt. 2018

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2019,6, 13-40

Emerging investigator series: interactions of engineered nanomaterials with the cell plasma membrane; what have we learned from membrane models?

A. M. Farnoud and S. Nazemidashtarjandi, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2019, 6, 13 DOI: 10.1039/C8EN00514A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements