Thursday, October 2, 2008

New Book from Webster on Nanoparticle Safety


Thomas J. Webster Publishes New Book on “Safety of Nanoparticles: From Manufacturing to Medical Applications”

Thomas J. Webster (Associate Professor, Division of Engineering and Department of Orthopedics, Brown University) has just published a new book on the “Safety of Nanoparticles: From Manufacturing to Medical Applications” by Springer. In spite of the potential use of nanomaterials as tissue engineering devices, implants, biosensors, drug delivery devices, etc., there has yet to be a compilation of the risks associated with the in vivo use of nanomaterials. There are numerous and well-known risks because of the size of nanoparticles. For example, nanoparticles can cross cell membranes and enter the cytoplasm undetected. The aim of this book is to provide one of the first detailed overviews of how cells and tissues in the body deal with nanoparticles. This is important not only for implantable devices, but also for the manufacturing of nanophase materials when particles can be inhaled or enter the body through the skin. This new book compiles research at the intersection of nanoparticles and biological processes to determine if nanophase materials are safe to be manufactured, handled, and/or implanted for various medical applications.