Molecular mechanisms of magnetite nanoparticle interactions due to internalisation and accumulation in cells in vitro

The objectives of the projects are: 1. the optimization of the preparation technology of stable physiological solution based magnetic colloids with Fe3O4 and (CoxZn1-x)Fe2O4 nanoparticles coated by suitable surfactant as a magnetic carriers with defined size and particle size distribution; 2. the complex physical characterization of colloids – magnetic properties, morphology and colloidal stability; 3. the complex structural characterization of prepared colloids (determination of phase composition, size and size distribution of nanoparticles); 4. to elucidate the mechanism and kinetics of magnetite nanoparticle internalization into human cells in dependence on the size of nanoparticles and the surfactants; 5. to determine the distribution and accumulation of magnetite nanoparticles in subcellular compartments and cell organelles; 6. to estimate the cytotoxic activity of magnetite nanoparticles in dependence on the size of nanoparticles and the surfactants; 7. to assess the capacity of magnetite nanoparticles to disrupt the integrity of the genetic material; 8. to measure the oxidative status of cells exposed to magnetite nanoparticles; 9. to evaluate the ability of magnetite nanoparticles to produce strand breaks and oxidative lesions to DNA; 10. to measure the impact of magnetite nanoparticles on cell signalling pathways; 11. to evaluate the correlation between the biological activity (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity) and the size of nanoparticles; 12. to identify the parameters which may play a key role in risk assessment of the nanoparticles.