Long-term effects of nanoparticles on nutrition and metabolism

Nanoparticles have shown great potential in biological and biomedical applications due to their distinct physical and chemical properties. In the meanwhile, the biosafety of nanoparticles has also raised intense concerns worldwide. To address such concerns, great efforts have been made to examine short-term effects of nanoparticles on cell survival and proliferation. More recently, exploration of long-term effects of nanomaterials, particularly those with promising biomedical applications in vivo, has aroused significant interest. For example, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are generally considered non-toxic to cell growth, whereas recent studies suggest that AuNPs might have long-term effects on cellular metabolism and energy homeostasis. In this Review, recent advances in this direction are summarized. Further, possible mechanisms under which nanoparticles regulate metabolic signaling pathways, potential long-term effects on cellular anabolic or catabolic processes, and their implications in human health and metabolic disorders are discussed.