Metals and Metal-Nanoparticles in Human Pathologies: From Exposure to Therapy

Abstract

An increasing number of pathologies correlates with both toxic and essential metal ions dyshomeostasis. Next to known genetic disorders (e.g., Wilson’s Disease and β-Thalassemia) other pathological states such as neurodegeneration and diabetes are characterized by an imbalance of essential metal ions. Metal ions can enter the human body from the surrounding environment in the form of free metal ions or metal-nanoparticles, and successively translocate to different tissues, where they are accumulated and develop distinct pathologies. There are no characteristic symptoms of metal intoxication, and the exact diagnosis is still difficult. In this review, we present metal-related pathologies with the most common onsets, biomarkers of metal intoxication, and proper techniques of metal qualitative and quantitative analysis. We discuss the possible role of drugs with metal-chelating ability in metal dyshomeostasis, and present recent advances in therapies of metal-related diseases.

Health risk assessment and metal contamination in fish, water and soil sediments in the East Kolkata Wetlands, India, Ramsar site

“…Moreover, fish is the main food item in the human diet. It is the main route of metals to enter the human body to create toxicity effect on human health and cause anemia, inflammation, swelling around the eyes, inflammation of the lungs, cataracts, cognitive deficits, diarrhea, and a decrease in appetite in consumers 45 , 46 . Moreover, Vanadium (V) also affects the organism’s genetic and evolutionary balance, which can be exchangeable in the fatty tissue of the fish as VO 2+ and VO 3+.…”

A Metal-Containing NP Approach to Treat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): Prospects and Challenges

“…Silver and copper NPs have been widely used as antifungal agents especially in controlling phytopathogenic fungi in agriculture [ 80 ]. Relating to the field of biomedical applications, the roles of metal-containing NPs are well exemplified, namely in antifungal activities, bioimaging, chemotherapy for cancerous cells, photothermal activities, as well as detection of glucose and hydrogen peroxide [ 81 , 82 , 83 ].…”

Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of Green Gold Nanoparticles and Tannin-Based Derivatives

“…The bio-assisted synthesis of metal nanoparticles (gold and silver nanoparticles) appears as an eco-friendly procedure in which plant-derived compounds (such as polyphenolic groups) [1] associate reducing properties to antioxidant and several beneficial properties such as the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of the natural components. It avoids the use of harsh reagents (such as tri-sodium citrate, sodium borohydride, hydrazine and lithium tri(ethyl)borohydride) [2,3] that takes place to the concept of "from nature to nature", exploring the use of plant extracts and derivatives as promising multifunctional templates for the development of new materials [4] with applications in the Internet of Things [5], wearables [6], agriculture [7] and health [8][9][10], sensors and catalysis [3,[11][12][13][14].…”