Implications of poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticleinduced cellular stress responses with focus on autophagy

Abstract

Nanoparticles are small particles in the nanometer size range, undetectable by the human eye. Nowadays nanoparticles are investigated as carriers of therapeutic drugs to increase treatment effect and minimize side effects for the patient. However, material properties change as the size approaches the nanoscale, and we know little about how these nanoscale materials interact with biological systems. Therefore, we have compared the cellular impact of three highly similar polymer nanoparticles differing only in their chemical side chain; PBCA (butyl), PEBCA (ethylbutyl) and POCA (octyl). In our work we showed that even these subtle variations in the chemical structure of nanoparticles led to profound differences in how the cells responded. Our findings emphasize how the specific nanoparticle composition can dictate the outcome of the nanoparticle-cell interaction having consequences for cell toxicity and mechanism of cell death. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms whereby nanoparticles induce stress, one can better exploit the mechanisms to predict possible toxicities for the patient and fine-tune the treatment effect.