The platform aims to test the toxicity of nanomaterials produced in-house and outside, for first line exposure to scientists and workers; along with specific toxicity testing for engineered nanomaterials with specific application. Toxicity has become a major concern in nanotechnology advancement and along with the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Code of Conduct, the testing of nanoparticle and nanomaterial toxicity has reached national importance.
The NIC Toxicity Platform (NicTox™) aims to investigate cellular toxicity as a first screening towards understanding, not only the mode of toxicity, but the reason for the toxicity. Testing is available as end point assays, but more importantly, in real time with the use of the xCELLigence. Various normal and cancerous cell lines are available for toxicity elucidation.
Various end point assays are available for testing. MTS assays are preferred and tested in conjunction and as comparison to real time toxicity testing.
Real time toxicity testing with the xCELLigence system. The xCELLigence system is a real time cell based analysis system that uses impedance as a measure of cell viability. The system uses gold electrode coated 96-well plates to measure current across the base of a single well.
A living adherent cell, with active metabolic function, causes resistance when adhered to the well surface, producing a visible graph. Any change in this adherence; a loss in adherence strength, curling of cell edges and a total loss of adherence, due to cell death, can be visualised on the system, in real time.
The growth pattern for each cell line is unique, as is the cellular response to the introduced toxin. Due to the nature and sensitivity of the real time xCELLigence system, specific types of toxicity can be identified.
ARPE-19 Pigmented retinal epithelium
BHK-21 Kidney fibroblasts, HAMSTER
CCD 841 CoN Colon epithelials
Detroit 551 Skin fibroblasts
HEL299 Lung fibroblasts
MCF12A Breast epithelials
MRHF Dermal fibroblasts
Mv1Lu Lung epithelials, MINX
RD Muscle cells
A549 Lung carcinoma
A-673 Muscle, Ewing's Sarcoma
Caco-2 Colon, Colorectal adenocarcinoma
Caki-1 Kidney: skin, Clear cell carcinoma
H69AR Multidrug resistant lung carcinoma
HCT116 Colorectal carcinoma
Hek-293 Kidney, embryonic, Adenovirus
HeLa Cervical adenocarcinoma
Hep-2 Larynx, Eperimoid carcinoma
Hep-G2 Liver, Hepatocellular carcinoma
HT-29 Colorectal adenocarcinoma
HT-3 Cervical retinoblastoma
MCF10A Breast; Fibrocystic disease
MCF7 Breast; Adenocarcinoma
NCI-H226 Lung; Squamous cell carcinoma
NCI-H358 Lung; Bronchioalveolar carcinoma
PC-3 Prostate; Adenocarcinoma
RPMI-7951 Skin; Malignant melanoma (lymph)
SK.MEL2 Skin; Malignant melanoma (thigh)
Sk-OV-3 Ovary; Resistant adenocarcinoma
T47D Breast; Ductal carcinoma
TE 354.T Skin, Basal cell carcinoma
TK-10 Kidney, Renal adenocarcinoma
TOV-21G Ovary; malignant adenocarcinoma
U-251 Brain, Glioblastoma, Astrocycoma
