Cyclometalated Ir complexes are promising candidates for biomedical applications but high cytotoxicity limits their use as imaging and sensing agents. We herein introduce the use of Laponite as carrier for triplet-emitting cyclometalated Ir complexes. Laponite is a versatile nanoplatform because of its biocompatibility, dispersion stability and large surface area that readily adsorbs functional nonpolar and cationic molecules. These inorganic-organic hybrid nanomaterials mask cytotoxicity, show efficient cell uptake and increase luminescent properties and photostability. By camouflaging intrinsic cytotoxicity, this simple method potentially extends the palette of available imaging and sensing dyes to any metal-organic complexes, especially those that are usually cytotoxic.
Nanomaterials have been widely used in our daily lives in medicine, cosmetics, paints, textiles and food products. Many studies aim to determine their biological effects in different types of cells. The interaction of these materials with the immune system leads to reactions by modifying the susceptibility or resistance of the host body which could induce adverse health effects. Macrophages, as specific cells of the innate immune response, play a crucial role in the human defence system to foreign agents. They can be used as a reliable test object for the investigation of immune responses under nanomaterials exposure displayed by expression of a variety of receptors and active secretion of key signalling substances for these processes. This report covers studies of human macrophage behaviours upon exposure of nanomaterials. We focused on their interaction with metal-oxide nanoparticles as these are largely used in medical and cosmetics applications. The discussion and summary of these studies can guide the development of new nanomaterials, which are, at the same time, safe and useful for new purposes, especially for health applications.ARTICLE HISTORY
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