title: Nanoparticles and the immune system.
abstract: Today nanotechnology is finding growing applications in industry, biology, and medicine. The clear benefits of using nanosized products in various biological and medical applications are often challenged by concerns about the lack of adequate data regarding their toxicity. One area of interest involves the interactions between nanoparticles and the components of the immune system. Nanoparticles can be engineered to either avoid immune system recognition or specifically inhibit or enhance the immune responses. We review herein reported observations on nanoparticle-mediated immunostimulation and immunosuppression, focusing on possible theories regarding how manipulation of particle physicochemical properties can influence their interaction with immune cells to attain desirable immunomodulation and avoid undesirable immunotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Pharmaceutical Science, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, USA.
authors.forename: Banu S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Zolnik
authors.forename: Africa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Fernández
authors.forename: Nakissa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sadrieh
authors.forename: Marina A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dobrovolskaia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D008081:Liposomes; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols