Welcome to the first edition of Nanotoxicology, a new journal published by Informa. The rapid expansion of nanotechnology has stimulated a growing interest in the potential hazards associated with nanomaterials, principally nanoparticles. As the title suggests, the journal Nanotoxicology will help to address this growing need for information by publishing papers that investigate the potential risks associated with nanomaterials during their production, use and disposal. These studies will span a number of disciplines including toxicology, risk assessment, ecotoxicology, materials science and nanomedicine. The journal will not only focus on factors that make materials hazardous, but also how we can use this information to make nanomaterials safe in order to allow nanotechnology to reach its full potential in a safe and sustainable manner. The intention is that this information will provide an essential resource for researchers, regulators and industry.
In order to illustrate the wide remit of the journal Nanotoxicology, for the first edition we have invited leading scientists from a variety of disciplines to write state-of-the art reviews that provide an introduction to our current understanding, as well as the issues that remain to be addressed. Edition 1 starts with an historical perspective of nanotoxicology, which sets the scene for all future studies in this area and provides a useful resource for the growing number of researchers moving into this exciting area of science and technology. Of course, conducting toxicity testing is not particularly useful unless it is considered in relation to the exposure that is likely to occur, and so our second article concentrates on the current status of exposure assessment, and outlines the future requirements in this essential area of research. In order to understand which factors are responsible for making nanoparticles toxic, it is also essential that we characterize the samples tested. Furthermore, an understanding of which factors make particles toxic is likely, in the future, to influence the chosen exposure assessment metrics required for regulation. The third article outlines characterization techniques that are available and relevant for nanomaterials and relates this information to current standard protocols. This article explores the need for characterization of the nanomaterial before and during use, as well as within the body of exposed organisms.
In order to understand how nanomaterials can be designed safely, it is essential to understand how they interact with cells, leading to a biological response. For this reason, our fourth article discusses interactions between cells and nanoparticles, and the impact of nanoparticles targeted to different subcellular compartments. Risk assessment takes the hazard or toxicity data and uses it in conjunction with the exposure data in order to determine the relative risk of different materials. Risk assessments have been conducted for some nanomaterials, but much work is required in this area through collaboration with toxicologists and exposure assessment scientists to enable risk assessment to become proactive, rather than reactive. Together these five articles provide an excellent starting platform for this new journal. Nanotoxicology now invites relevant, interesting and good quality submissions for consideration in our second (June 2007) and subsequent editions of the journal. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/17435390.asp