Probing safety of nano-objects by defining immune responses of environmental organisms

Probing safety of nano-objects by defining immune responses of environmental organisms A. Alijagic, R. Bonaventura, R. Russo, F. Zito, C. Costa, N. Lampiasi, V. Matranga and A. Pinsino Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy" (IBIMCNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, Palermo, Italia andi.alijagic@ibim.cnr.it Emerging technologies increasingly use engineered nanoparticles (NPs) to produce different products. Nanoparticles (NPs) as objects with small molecular weight and size under the 100 nm are hardly detectable. The immuno-safety of NP is a major issue for human health, as NPs even if not directly toxic, may alter the functionality of immune cells thereby posing significant health risks. Due to these facts, European Commission financed the project PANDORA (Probing safety of nano-objects by defining immune responses of environmental organisms). This project aims to identify the effects of NPs on the immune responses of marine and terrestrial invertebrate species and different human cell lines. Overall, 11 partners from different academic institutions, research centres, and SMEs all around Europe will take a part in PANDORA. Each partner will use different model organism for NPs immune assessment and will train 11 PhD students. In particular, in IBIM-CNR we will evaluate the NPS impacts on adult sea urchin immune cells. The aim of this project is resolving the enigma about the effects caused by nanoparticles on the immune response of Paracentrotus lividus as a phylogenetically very similar model organism to higher vertebrates. Evaluation of this problem will be done through molecular analysis and targeting of different inflammatory markers, by the observation of oxidative stress level, cell morphology and phagocytic activity. Expected results will be a definition of P. lividus immune response to nano-toxicological challenges that will be used as a part of the final immuno-nanosafety assessment. Andi Alijagic has received a Marie Sk?odowska-Curie PhD fellowship within the PANDORA project.