Cardiotoxicity Challenges in Nanomaterial: Risk Assessment, Mechanisms, and Mitigation Strategies

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Materials Science
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Growing use of nanomaterials (NMs) in consumer, medical, and industrial products necessitates understanding their cardiovascular toxicity.
• Human exposure to NMs raises significant concerns regarding potential adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize current knowledge on nanomaterial-induced cardiotoxicity, focusing on risk assessment models, underlying mechanisms, and mitigation strategies.
• To advance fundamental understanding and support the development of safer nanomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature on NM cardiotoxicity.
• Exploration of various assessment models, including in vitro, in vivo, and organ-on-a-chip platforms.
• Analysis of key cardiotoxic mechanisms and potential mitigation strategies.

Main Results:

• Cardiotoxicity mechanisms include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, ion imbalance, and cell death, influenced by NM physicochemical properties.
• A tiered strategy for selecting assessment models is proposed, emphasizing pathological conditions.
• Mitigation strategies involve surface engineering, elemental substitution, morphological design, and Safe-by-Design principles.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for balancing NM application potential with safety concerns.
• Developing safer nanomaterials requires a comprehensive approach integrating risk assessment, mechanistic understanding, and proactive mitigation.
• Further research is needed to refine assessment models and validate mitigation strategies for nanomaterial cardiotoxicity.