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# Titanium dioxide nanoparticles cause genotoxicity, apoptosis in lung cancer cells
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/titanium_dioxide_lung_cancer_1102120705/
- Published: 2012-11-02T08:04:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:55:32.000Z
- Description: Indian Institute of Toxicology Research scientists exposed lung cancer cells to titanium dioxide nanoparticles at 10 and 50 ug/mL and saw oxidative stress, apoptosis and genotoxicity, with P53, P21 and cleaved caspase-3 up and Bcl2 down. Healthy lung cells were not tested.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Friday Nov 2, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Inhaled nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide have been recognized by the World Health Organization as human carcinogens, which can cause lung cancer. A new study in Human Experimental Toxicology indirectly demonstrated how inhaled nanoparticles can cause damage to lung cells leading to the development of lung cancer.

R. Srivastava from Indian Institute of Toxicology Research in Lucknow, India and colleagues tested titanium dioxide nanoparticles in lung cancer cells and found the nanoparticles induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and genotoxicity.

Although the study was not conducted with healthy lung cells, it is likely that titanium dixoide nanoparticles as the study showed can also cause the same damage to healthy cells leading to the development of lung cancer. It's like radiation that can not only kill cancer cells, but also damage healthy cells leading to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.

The authors acknowledged that lung cancer cells exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles in concentrations of 10 and 50 ug/mL for 6 to 24 hours displayed significant induction in oxidative stress as shown in assays testing reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde and decreased the activity of catalase and glutathione.

In addition, titanium dioxde nanoparticles induced the formation of apoptotic bodies and micronucleus which indicate the genotoxicity.

"A significant up-regulation in the expression of apoptosis markers such as P(53), P(21) and cleaved caspase-3 was observed, while the levels were down-regulated for Bcl(2) at both mRNA and protein levels. TiO(2) NPs exposure could not pose significant effects on Bax expression," the researchers said in their report.

The researchers concluded: "Data indicate that nano-TiO(2) (titanium dioxide) induces oxidative stress, genotoxicity and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell line, A549\. Our result also identifies the mechanisms involved in TiO(2) NP-induced changes in A549 cells."

Lung cancer is expected to be diagnosed in 226,160 men and women in the United States in 2012 and the disease and its complications are expected to kill 160,340 in the same year and in the same country.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are commonly used cosmetic products such as soaps and foods. Studies show nanoparticles can travel in vivo to the major organs and can enter healthy cells and disrupt DNA potentially leading to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Because of this, nanoparticles in foods and cosmetics may cause health problems as carcinogenic inhaled nanoparticles.