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2.6 General Safety
Due to exponentially growing numbers of suggested nanotechnology applications,
a branch of science has been born to specifically address the adverse effects caused
by nanomaterials. Nanotoxicology studies nanoparticle-induced toxicity in in vitro
as well as in vivo experimental models in order to contribute to the development of
a sustainable and safe nanotechnology [ 92 ]. It aims to optimize well known toxicity
tests or produce new ones to be applicable for nanosafety evaluation [ 93 , 94 ]. Over
the last years, research groups that study the outcomes of nanoparticles used for
stem cell tracking are focusing on their possible undesirable effects inside the
experimental model or even the host. Thus, prior to the therapeutic use of nanopar-
ticles, it is becoming increasingly important to conduct systematic in vitro studies
to assess their toxicological profiles and evaluate their potential influence on the
self-renewal and differentiation properties of stem cells [ 2 , 16 , 95 ].
Fig. 2.8 Example of a nano-scaffold. Reprinted with permission from Ferreira et al. [ 2 ]
H.A. Jensen et al.