Nanomaterial Induced Immune Responses and Cytotoxicity

Nanomaterials are utilized in a wide array of end user products such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, clothes and cosmetic products. Due to its size (< 100 nm), nanoparticles have the propensity to enter through the airway and skin, making its path perilous with the potential to cause damages of varying severity. Once within the body, these particles have unconstrained access to different tissues and organs including the brain, liver, and kidney. As a result, nanomaterials may cause the perturbation of the immune system eliciting an inflammatory response and cytotoxicity. This potential role is dependent on many factors such as the characteristics of the nanomaterials, presence or absence of diseases, and genetic predisposition. Cobalt and nickel nanoparticles, for example, were shown to have inflammogenic properties, while silver nanoparticles were shown to reduce allergic inflammation. Just as asbestos fibers, carbon nanotubes were shown to cause lungs damage. Some nanomaterials were shown, based on animal studies, to result in cell damage, leading to the formation of pre-cancerous lesions. This review highlights the impact of nanomaterials on immune system and its effect on human health with toxicity consideration. It recommends the development of suitable animal models to study the toxicity and bio-clearance of nanomaterials and propose safety guidelines.