Introduction The term nanomedicine summarizes the implementation of nanomaterials in the medical
sector. Due to their small size and unique physicochemical characteristics, zinc oxide
nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) can exceed physiological barriers. This enables them to act
as cell-specific drug carriers or to optimize radiological diagnostics. The range
of possible interactions of NP within the organism therefore appears broad. However,
the effects of NP on immune cells in particular have so far been little investigated
and were therefore chosen as the focus of this study.
Methods Lymphocytes from 9 healthy donors were incubated with ZnO-NP for 1, 2 or 3 days in
different sub-cytotoxic concentrations. Changes in the state of cell activation and
T cell differentiation were evaluated by flow cytometric analysis of various surface
markers.
Results The ZnO-NP used in this study did not lead to any significant changes in the activity
profile of the lymphocytes. The distribution of the T cell subpopulations also remained
stable regardless of concentration and time.
Discussion The examined particles do not seem to induce an immunomodulatory effect in the cell
model used. For a more precise investigation of this subject, a model including the
diverse elements of immune response should be aspired for further studies. The decisive
influence of the physical characteristics of NP on their bioactivity must be given
special attention.
