Because of their properties, nanoparticles have generated opposed views. They are perceived as promising in many fields of application, particularly in medicine. Nanoparticles are currently used in many therapeutic approaches such as cancer therapy. However, in view of past health crises related to the repeated inhalation of crystalline silica particles and asbestos fibers, nanoparticles are also viewed as a source of potential risks for human health. Alveolar macrophages are now known to play a major role in the evolution of these two diseases. We thus chose to study both the positive and negative aspects of nanoparticles. In order to address a public health issue, our first project focused on the effect of different types of amorphous sil...