The use of biological self-assembling materials, plant virus nanoparticles in particular, appears very
intriguing as it allows a great choice of symmetries and dimensions, easy chemical and biological engineering
of both surface and/or internal cavity as well as safe and rapid production in plants. In this
perspective, we present an initial evaluation of the safety profile of two structurally different plant viruses
produced in Nicotiana benthamiana L. plants: the filamentous Potato virus X and the icosahedral Tomato
bushy stunt virus. In vitro haemolysis assay was used to test the cytotoxic effects, which could arise by
pVNPs interaction with cellular membranes, while early embryo assay was used to evaluate toxicity and
teratogenicity in vivo. Data indicates that these structurally robust particles, still able to infect plants
after incubation in serum up to 24 h, have neither toxic nor teratogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. This
work represents the first safety-focused characterization of pVNPs in view of their possible use as drug delivery carriers