An Overview of Nanoparticle Biocompatibility for Their Use in Nanomedicine

Nanotechnology, considered an industrial revolution occurring across the twentieth and twenty first centuries, promises to provide numerous advantages to both humans and the environment, across consumer, industrial, and technology sectors. Although any number of applications (e.g., cosmetics, sporting equipment, environmental remediation) can be used as an example for the inevitable use and exposure of humans and the environment to the nanosized components (i.e., nanoparticles) that drive the nanotechnology industry, their use, or proposed use within a medical setting also known as “Nanomedicine,” has far reaching human and financial implications. This proposed $trillion sub-discipline of nanotechnology, warrants intensive research due to the possible advances and improvements it can make to healthcare, globally. Yet, in light of this, the safety concerns that surround the production, use, and disposal of NPs are also highly pertinent to their application within a medical setting. With the notion that nanosized materials can interact with mammalian cells and tissues in novel ways, compared to their bulk counterparts, it is important to consider how this relates to their effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy as a medical application. The objective of this chapter therefore is to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the biocompatibility of different nanoparticles, and how this relates to their potential advantageous use within the clinical setting.