Silica nanoparticle releases SIRT6-induced epigenetic silencing of follistatin

Mutuality of epigenetic and nanoparticles: two sides of a coin

Nowadays nanoparticles (NPs) due to their multidimensional applications in enormous different fields, has become an exciting research topic. In particular, they could attract a noticeable interest as drug deliver with increased bioavailability, therapeutic efficacy and drug specificity. Epigenetic can be considered as a complex network of molecular mechanism which are engaged in gene expression and have a vital role in regulation of environmental effects on ethology of different disorders like neurological disorders, cancers and cardiovascular diseases. For many of them epigenetic therapy was proposed although its application accompanied with limitations, due to drug toxicity. In this review we evaluate two aspects to epigenetic in the field of NPs: firstly, the role of epigenetic in regulation of nanotoxicity and secondly application of NPs as potential carriers for epidrugs.

A review on the epigenetics modifications to nanomaterials in humans and animals: novel epigenetic regulator

In the nanotechnology era, nanotechnology applications have been intensifying their prospects to embrace all the vigorous sectors persuading human health and animal. The safety and concerns regarding the widespread use of engineered nanomaterials (NMA) and their potential effect on human health still require further clarification. Literature elucidated that NMA exhibited significant adverse effects on various molecular and cellular alterations. Epigenetics is a complex process resulting in the interactions between an organism’s environment and genome. The epigenetic modifications, including histone modification and DNA methylation, chromatin structure and DNA accessibility alteration, regulate gene expression patterns. Disturbances of epigenetic markers induced by NMA might promote the sensitivity of humans and animals to several diseases. Also, this paper focus on the epigenetic regulators of some dietary nutrients that have been confirmed to stimulate the epigenome and, more exactly, DNA histone modifications and non-histone proteins modulation by acetylation, and phosphorylation inhibition, which counteracts oxidative stress generations. The present review epitomizes the recent evidence of the potential effects of NMA on histone modifications, in addition to in vivo and in vitro cytosine DNA methylation and its toxicity. Furthermore, the part of epigenetic fluctuations as possible translational biomarkers for uncovering untoward properties of NMA is deliberated.

The critical role of epigenetic mechanisms involved in nanotoxicology

Over the past decades, nanomaterials (NMs) have been widely applied in the cosmetic, food, engineering, and medical fields. Along with the prevalence of NMs, the toxicological characteristics exhibited by these materials on health and the environment have gradually attracted attentions. A growing number of evidences have indicated that epigenetics holds an essential role in the onset and development of various diseases. NMs could cause epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) expression, and histone modifications. NMs might alternate either global DNA methylation or the methylation of specific genes to affect the biological function. Abnormal upregulation or downregulation of ncRNAs might also be a potential mechanism for the toxic effects caused by NMs. In parallel, the phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation of histones also take an important part in the process of NMs-induced toxicity. As the adverse effects of NMs continue to be explored, mechanisms such as chromosomal remodeling, genomic imprinting, and m⁶ A modification are also gradually coming into the limelight. Since the epigenetic alterations often occur in the early development of diseases, thus the relevant studies not only provide insight into the pathogenesis of diseases, but also screen for the prospective biomarkers for early diagnosis and prevention. This review summarizes the epigenetic alterations elicited by NMs, hoping to provide a clue for nanotoxicity studies and security evaluation of NMs. This article is categorized under: Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials.

Genotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles: Structural and Functional Modifications in DNA

The rapid advancement of nanotechnology enhances the production of different nanoparticles that meet the demand of various fields like biomedical sciences, industrial, material sciences and biotechnology, etc. This technological development increases the chances of nanoparticles exposure to human beings, which can threaten their health. It is well known that various cellular processes (transcription, translation, and replication during cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell differentiation) in which genetic materials (DNA and RNA) are involved play a vital role to maintain any structural and functional modification into it. When nanoparticles come into the vicinity of the cellular system, chances of uptake become high due to their small size. This cellular uptake of nanoparticles enhances its interaction with DNA, leading to structural and functional modification (DNA damage/repair, DNA methylation) into the DNA. These modifications exhibit adverse effects on the cellular system, consequently showing its inadvertent effect on human health. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt has been made to elucidate the genotoxic mechanism of nanoparticles in the context of structural and functional modifications of DNA.

How can exposure to engineered nanomaterials influence our epigenetic code? A review of the mechanisms and molecular targets

Evidence suggests that engineered nanomaterials (ENM) can induce epigenetic modifications. In this review, we provide an overview of the epigenetic modulation of gene expression induced by ENM used in a variety of applications: titanium dioxide (TiO₂), silver (Ag), gold (Au), silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials (CNM). Exposure to these ENM can trigger alterations in cell patterns of DNA methylation, post-transcriptional histone modifications and expression of non-coding RNA. Such effects are dependent on ENM dose and physicochemical properties including size, shape and surface chemistry, as well as on the cell/organism sensitivity. The genes affected are mostly involved in the regulation of the epigenetic machinery itself, as well as in apoptosis, cell cycle, DNA repair and inflammation related pathways, whose long-term alterations might lead to the onset or progression of certain pathologies. In addition, some DNA methylation patterns may be retained as a form of epigenetic memory. Prenatal exposure to ENM may impair the normal development of the offspring by transplacental effects and/or putative transmission of epimutations in imprinting genes. Thus, understanding the impact of ENM on the epigenome is of paramount importance and epigenetic evaluation must be considered when assessing the risk of ENM to human health.

Epigenetic Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanoparticles

The rise of nanotechnology and widespread use of engineered nanomaterials in everyday human life has led to concerns regarding their potential effect on human health. Adverse effects of nanomaterials and nanoparticles on various molecular and cellular alterations have been well-studied. In contrast, the role of epigenetic alterations in their toxicity remains relatively unexplored. This review summarizes current evidence of alterations in cytosine DNA methylation and histone modifications in response to nanomaterials and nanoparticles exposures in vivo and in vitro. This review also highlights existing knowledge gaps regarding the role of epigenetic alterations in nanomaterials and nanoparticles toxicity. Additionally, the role of epigenetic changes as potential translational biomarkers for detecting adverse effects of nanomaterials and nanoparticles is discussed.

Engineered nanoparticle-induced epigenetic changes: An important consideration in nanomedicine

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are now being applied across a range of disciplines, and as a result numerous studies have now assessed ENP-related bioeffects. Among them, ENP-induced epigenetic changes including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression have recently attracted attention. In this review, we describe the diversity of ENP-induced epigenetic changes, focusing on their interplay with related functional biological events, especially oxidative stress, MAPK pathway activation, and inflammation. In doing so, we highlight the underlying mechanisms and biological effects of ENP-induced epigenetic changes. We also summarize how high-throughput technologies have helped to uncover ENP-induced epigenetic changes. Finally, we discuss future perspectives and the challenges related to ENP-induced epigenetic changes that still need to be addressed.

Insights into the epigenetic effects of nanomaterials on cells

With the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials are increasingly being applied in health fields, such as biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Concerns have therefore been raised over their toxicity and numerous studies have been carried out to assess their safety. Most studies on the toxicity and therapeutic mechanisms of nanomaterials have revealed the effects of nanomaterials on cells at the transcriptome and proteome levels. However, epigenetic modifications, for example DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA expression induced by nanomaterials, which play an important role in the regulation of gene expression, have not received sufficient attention. In this review, we therefore state the importance of studying epigenetic effects induced by nanomaterials; then we review the progress of nanomaterial epigenetic research in the assessment of toxicity, therapeutic, and other mechanisms. We also clarify the possible study directions for future nanomaterial epigenetic research. Finally, we discuss the future development and challenges of nanomaterial epigenetics that must still be addressed. We hope to understand the potential toxicity of nanomaterials and clearly understand the therapeutic mechanism through a thorough investigation of nanomaterial epigenetics.

Epigenetic Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials: Is the Collateral Damage Inevitable?

The extensive application of engineered nanomaterial (ENM) in various fields increases the possibilities of human exposure, thus imposing a huge risk of nanotoxicity. Hence, there is an urgent need for a detailed risk assessment of these ENMs in response to their toxicological profiling, predominantly in biomedical and biosensor settings. Numerous "toxico-omics" studies have been conducted on ENMs, however, a specific "risk assessment paradigm" dealing with the epigenetic modulations in humans owing to the exposure of these modern-day toxicants has not been defined yet. This review aims to address the critical aspects that are currently preventing the formation of a suitable risk assessment approach for/against ENM exposure and pointing out those researches, which may help to develop and implement effective guidance for nano-risk assessment. Literature relating to physicochemical characterization and toxicological behavior of ENMs were analyzed, and exposure assessment strategies were explored in order to extrapolate opportunities, challenges, and criticisms in the establishment of a baseline for the risk assessment paradigm of ENMs exposure. Various challenges, such as uncertainty in the relation of the physicochemical properties and ENM toxicity, the complexity of the dose-response relationships resulting in difficulty in its extrapolation and measurement of ENM exposure levels emerged as issues in the establishment of a traditional risk assessment. Such an appropriate risk assessment approach will provide adequate estimates of ENM exposure risks and will serve as a guideline for appropriate risk communication and management strategies aiming for the protection and the safety of humans.