ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Induced by Engineered Nanomaterials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 490

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Occupational Health, Gydas Vei 8, 0363, Oslo, Norway
Interests: occupational health; inflammation; molecular genetics; carcinogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Engineered nanomaterials are now ubiquitous in various products and are utilized across different industrial sectors. The increased use of nanomaterials raises questions regarding the balance between their benefits and the potential hazards that they pose to human health in occupational settings. Engineered nanomaterials are classified based on their size, shape, composition, and origin. These characteristics influence the type of exposure and possible modes of action related to toxicity.  

We are pleased to invite you to contribute papers to this Special Issue, “Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Induced by Engineered Nanomaterials”.

We aim to unravel the potential molecular mechanisms of toxicity induced by engineered nanomaterials, which includes examining various toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic effects in primary and secondary target organs. We would like to publish in vitro, in silico, in chemico, and in vivo data bridging the gap between in vivo studies and new approach methodologies (NAMs). We are particularly interested in human exposure–effect and epidemiological studies. Our goal is to enhance the understanding of this topic, ultimately improving the reliability and predictability of methods for the next-generation risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

This Special Issue is led by Prof. Dr. Shan Zienolddiny-Narui and assisted by Dr. Laura Maria Azzurra Camassa (National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway).

Prof. Dr. Shan Zienolddiny-Narui
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • toxicity
  • occupational health
  • engineered nanomaterials
  • physical–chemical characteristics
  • toxicokinetic
  • toxicodynamic
  • in vivo
  • NAMs
  • NGRA (new-generation risk assessment)

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 2456 KB  
Article
Toxicological Responses of Photosynthetic Genes in Chlorella vulgaris Exposed to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of TiO2 Nanoparticles
by Gester G. Gutiérrez, Fernando Rivas-Valdés, Bárbara P. Benavente, René Olivares, Matías I. Hepp, Ricardo O. Barra and Roberto Urrutia
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10271; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110271 - 22 Oct 2025
Abstract
Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly released into aquatic environments, raising concerns about their effects on primary producers. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), one of the most widely used nanomaterials, are frequently detected at low concentrations in surface waters. Here, we investigated the impact [...] Read more.
Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly released into aquatic environments, raising concerns about their effects on primary producers. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), one of the most widely used nanomaterials, are frequently detected at low concentrations in surface waters. Here, we investigated the impact of environmentally relevant TiO2 NP concentrations (1.1–17.6 µg/L) on the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris by combining standardized growth inhibition bioassays with transcriptional analysis of photosynthesis-related genes. Cultures were exposed for 72 h following OECD TG 201, and cell density, growth factor (GF), and specific growth rate (µ) were determined to validate bioassay reliability. Gene expression of six photosynthetic genes (atpB, psaA, psaB, psaD, psbA, and rbcL) was quantified by RT-qPCR and normalized against 18S rRNA. Statistical analyses included Shapiro–Wilk and Levene’s tests, followed by one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni or Dunnett T3 post hoc corrections. The results showed a hormetic growth response, with stimulation at intermediate NP concentrations and no inhibition at the highest dose. At the molecular level, rbcL was significantly repressed at 1.1–4.4 µg/L, while psaA and psaD were upregulated at 8.8–17.6 µg/L, indicating compensatory reinforcement of photosystem I. These divergent transcriptional trajectories demonstrate that molecular endpoints reveal sublethal effects not evident from cell counts alone. Overall, this study highlights the potential of photosynthesis-related genes as early biomarkers for detecting nanoparticle-induced stress in aquatic primary producers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity Induced by Engineered Nanomaterials)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop