ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, VOL. 22 NO. S1
During the last couple of decades, we have learned much about the microbiome, and studies continue to illuminate and expound on its many functions and effects on the human body.1 There is increasing interest in nanoparticles (NPs) and there have been more studies lately on their effect on the microbiome.
What Are Nanoparticles?
The first description of NP in scientific terms was by Michael Faraday in his classic work in 1857.2 NPs are defined by the US National Nanotechnology Initiative as materials having at least 1 diameter measuring 100 nm or less, with 1 nm being equal to 10-9 m, smaller than cells and many viruses.
They are used in food packaging materials; as flame retardants; to help enhance imaging in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans; in common consumer products; in genetic and tissue engineering; and in research for possible use in delivery of drugs, including chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment.
How Nanoparticles Affect the Body and Microbiome
We have known of effects of NPs on the lungs from smoking tobacco, from fires indoors used for cooking in developing countries leading to early mortality, and from diesel NPs damaging the cardiovascular system in animal studies.3,4 Published reports have shown that NPs can affect the gut and microbiome.
There are other facets for NPs that are emerging as well, and for this editorial we shall focus on the consequences on the microbiome and how in the future probiotics may modify some of these outcomes for the better.
Balancing Benefits and Health Risks
There are potential benefits from the use of NPs but also concerns over the potential for adverse human health effects. NPs may initiate medical problems, mostly due to the high surface-to-volume ratios, making the particles very reactive. They are able to pass through cell membranes, and their effects in humans are still being studied.