What we know and don't know about the bioeffects of nanoparticles: developing experimental approaches for safety assessment.

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates nano-based medical products and therefore is required to address the safety and biological effects of nano-scale materials used in these products. Both in vitro and in vivo toxicological research studies are being conducted at the FDA to help determine the risks versus benefits of these new products. This article will briefly summarize some of the initial research findings from FDA-CDRH studies using TiO(2), polystyrene, and silicon nanoparticles.