Engineered nanomaterials and oxidative stress: current understanding and future challenges.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Materials Science
• Toxicology

Background:

• Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly used in consumer and biomedical products, raising public health concerns about safety.
• Oxidative stress, induced by reactive oxygen species, is a common toxicity mechanism for various ENMs.
• ENM physicochemical properties like size, composition, and surface chemistry influence oxidative stress induction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the physicochemical properties and mechanisms of ENM-driven oxidative stress.
• To highlight the need for research on low-dose or chronic ENM exposure effects.
• To investigate potential cellular dysfunction and disease initiation linked to redox proteome changes.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies on ENM toxicity and oxidative stress.
• Analysis of physicochemical properties contributing to ENM-induced oxidative stress.
• Discussion of research gaps concerning low-dose ENM exposure and cellular redox state.

Main Results:

• High acute ENM doses cause significant reactive oxygen species production, leading to cytotoxicity, apoptosis, genotoxicity, and inflammation.
• Low or non-toxic ENM doses may induce chronic changes in the intracellular redox state.
• These chronic changes can lead to cellular reprogramming, potentially initiating and progressing diseases.

Conclusions:

• Understanding ENM safety is crucial due to widespread product incorporation and human exposure.
• Further research is essential to elucidate the long-term health impacts of low-dose ENM exposure on the redox proteome.
• Investigating chronic effects is vital for assessing systemic damage and disease risk associated with ENMs.