A rule for designing safer nanomaterials: do not interfere with the cellular redox equilibrium

A comprehensive evaluation of the biological and toxicological effects of nanomaterials is necessary for the design of safe products. Attempts to describe and predict these effects are increasingly taking mechanistic considerations into account, shifting from the traditional way of conducting toxicity testing towards a more integrated and efficient approach that combines both in vitro and in silico models. While these approaches are still in their initial stages, their further development will allow researchers to streamline and prioritize toxicological tests on real nanomaterials, while increasing human relevance and reducing animal testing. This paper summarises a mechanistically-based model for predicting the ability of oxide nanoparticles to induce oxidative stress, which is related to various toxicological effects.JRC.I.5-Systems Toxicolog