title: Engineered nanomaterials: an emerging class of novel endocrine disruptors.
abstract: Over the past decade, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have garnered great attention for their potentially beneficial applications in medicine, industry, and consumer products due to their advantageous physicochemical properties and inherent size. However, studies have shown that these sophisticated molecules can initiate toxicity at the subcellular, cellular, and/or tissue/organ level in diverse experimental models. Investigators have also demonstrated that, upon exposure to ENMs, the physicochemical properties that are exploited for public benefit may mediate adverse endocrine-disrupting effects on several endpoints of mammalian reproductive physiology (e.g., steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, pregnancy). Elucidating these complex interactions within reproductive cells and tissues will significantly advance our understanding of ENMs as an emerging class of novel endocrine disruptors and reproductive toxicants. Herein we reviewed the recent developments in reproductive nanotoxicology and identified the gaps in our knowledge that may serve as future research directions to foster continued advancement in this evolving field of study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Children's Environmental Health Sciences Core Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Children's Research Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Jeremy K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Children's Environmental Health Sciences Core Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Children's Research Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carvan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Children's Environmental Health Sciences Core Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Children's Research Institute, Milwaukee, Wisconsin School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin rjhutz@uwm.edu.
authors.forename: Reinhold J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hutz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000633:toxicity*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors
keywords: endocrine disruptors; engineered nanomaterials; nanotoxicology; reproduction; steroidogenesis