Cross-Species Comparisons of Nanoparticle Interactions with Innate Immune Systems: A Methodological Review

Abstract

Many components of the innate immune system are evolutionarily conserved and shared across many living organisms, from plants and invertebrates to humans. Therefore, these shared features can allow the comparative study of potentially dangerous substances, such as engineered nanoparticles (NPs). However, differences of methodology and procedure between diverse species and models make comparison of innate immune responses to NPs between organisms difficult in many cases. To this aim, this review provides an overview of suitable methods and assays that can be used to measure NP immune interactions across species in a multidisciplinary approach. The first part of this review describes the main innate immune defense characteristics of the selected models that can be associated to NPs exposure. In the second part, the different modes of exposure to NPs across models (considering isolated cells or whole organisms) and the main endpoints measured are discussed. In this synergistic perspective, we provide an overview of the current state of important cross-disciplinary immunological models to study NP-immune interactions and identify future research needs. As such, this paper could be used as a methodological reference point for future nano-immunosafety studies.

NLRP3 inflammasome as a sensor of micro- and nanoplastics immunotoxicity

“…All together, several limitations of the existing studies should be highlighted and taken as a guide when designing and harmonizing future research on MNPs and NLRP3 inflammasome interplay, similarly to the previous and ongoing nanosafety research ( 106 ). Major limitations include unclear experimental design, unspecified size of particles, unspecified concentrations, nonuniform concentration reporting, or undefined characterization approaches.…”

Interaction between nanomaterials and the innate immune system across evolution

“…phagocytosis, production of ROS) and others restricted to particular clades (e.g. production of IL‐1 in vertebrates). Observations on the capacity of innate immune mechanisms to recognise and eliminate ENMs across metazoans suggest that innate immunity can successfully deal with ENMs, without causing permanent damage to the organism (Boraschi et al ., 2020; Pinsino et al ., 2020; Swartzwelter et al ., 2021). In plants, interaction with ENMs appears to shift the growth/immunity balance towards enhanced growth.…”

In Vitro and In Vivo Models to Assess the Immune-Related Effects of Nanomaterials

“…Conversely, several basic mechanisms of innate recognition (through innate receptors and sensors) and engulfment/degradation by phagocytes are largely conserved and active with very similar mechanisms in every species. Thus, the model plant Arabidop-sis thaliana, the woodlouse Porcellio scaber, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the earthworm Eisenia fetida, the blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis, the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, the cephalopod Octopus vulgaris and many others can be used for environmental nanoimmunosafety studies, but also as a proxy for human innate responses [26,30,[74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83].…”