Nanotechnology is used more and more both in industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.
The biological effects are poorly understood. It is known that nanoparticles can cause inflammation in the lungs when inhaled, but beyond that there is no knowledge of its possible harmful properties.
This also applies to nanoparticles' effect on skin allergies, which is particularly relevant because many cosmetic products and sunscreens make use of this technology.
The project aims to systematically investigate the effects of nanoparticles on skin allergies.
Two types of micro vesicles used in the cosmetic industry (liposomes and polycaprolactone) has been chosen and frequent allergens (potassium dichromate, isoeugenol and dinitro-chlorobenzen) incorporated into them.
The allergens' ability to induce allergy with and without nanoparticles is studied in a recognized and standardized animal model; "Local Lymph Node Assay".
The allergens with and without micro vesicles are tested on volunteers with previously diagnosed allergy to the allergens.
The research is carried out by MD, PhD-fellow Jakob Torp Madsen at the Department of Dermatology at Odense University Hospital in collaboration with the National Research Centre for Allergy.
