

According to a study published in the journal Nanomedicine, researchers have found an association between exposure to nanoparticles and rheumatoid arthritis and the development of other serious autoimmune disease. In addition, the team discovered new cellular targets for developing potential drug therapies to treat autoimmune diseases.

Findings from the study, conducted by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, indicate that there are health and safety implications for the manufacture, utilization, and disposal of nanotechnology products and materials.

Smoking, carbon particles emitted by car exhaust, and inhalation of dust over the long-term are all risk factors which cause chronic inflammation of the lungs. In addition, researchers have also established an association between smoking and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

In this study, the authors identified similar risks cause by nanotechnology products, which may produce new types of airborne pollutants that can impact global health if not handled appropriately.

In order to determine whether there was a common underlying mechanism contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases in human cells when exposed to nanoparticles, Professor of Molecular Medicine Yuri Volkov and his Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging team at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine, applied a wide range of nanomaterials to human cells derived from the lining of the airway passages, and to so-called phagocytic origin – cells that are more exposed to inhaled foreign particles or are responsible with eliminating them from the body.

The nanomaterials involved included, carbon nanotubes, ultrafine carbon black, and silicon dioxide particles of different sizes, ranging from 20 to 400 nanometers.