Purported nanobacteria in human blood as calcium carbonate nanoparticles

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests a role for nanobacteria in a growing number of human diseases, including renal stone formation, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This large body of research studies promotes the view that nanobacteria are not only alive but that they are associated with disease pathogenesis. However, it is still unclear whether they represent novel life forms, overlooked nanometer-size bacteria, or some other primitive self-replicating microorganisms. Here, we report that CaCO 3 precipitates prepared in vitro are remarkably similar to purported nanobacteria in terms of their uniformly sized, membrane-delineated vesicular shapes, with cellular division-like formations and aggregations in the form of colonies. The gradual appearance of nanobacteria-like particles in incubated human serum as well as the changes seen with their size and shape can be influenced and explained by introducing varying levels of CO 2 and NaHCO 3 as well as other conditions known to influence the precipitation of CaCO 3 . Western blotting reveals that the monoclonal antibodies, claimed to be specific for nanobacteria, react in fact with serum albumin. Furthermore, nanobacteria-like particles obtained from human blood are able to withstand high doses of γ-irradiation up to 30 kGy, and no bacterial DNA is found by performing broad-range PCR amplifications. Collectively, our results provide a more plausible abiotic explanation for the unusual properties of purported nanobacteria.

Unravelling the enigmatic origin of calcitic nanofibres in soils and caves: purely physicochemical or biogenic processes?

“…Importantly, regarding average sizes of nanofibres, the hypothesis of the mineralization of rod-shaped bacteria suggests that these bacteria are rather nanobacteria. Yet, a controversy exists regarding the putative existence of nanobacteria (Folk, 1993;Kirkland et al, 1999;Folk and Lynch, 2001;Schieber and Arnott, 2003;Martel and Young, 2008;Young et al, 2009;Pacton and Gorin, 2011).…”

“…As already explained in the Sect. 2, a controversy is still ongoing regarding the existence of nanobacteria (Folk, 1993;Kirkland et al 1999;Folk and Lynch, 2001;Schieber and Arnott, 2003;Martel and Young, 2008;Young et al, 2009;Pacton and Gorin, 2011). Maniloff et al (1997) have defined that the lowest diameter for a cell to be viable must be 0.005 µm 3 .…”

Hemoglobin aggregates studied under static and dynamic conditions involving the formation of nanobacteria-like structures

“…The existence of nanobacteria has been openly questioned by a number of scientists (17)(18)(19). In effect, some scientists argue that nanobacteria are not living entities but are composed of salts and other physiologically based organic compounds.…”

“…blood chemistry (9); they appear to grow in size and shape in serum with the addition of carbon dioxide and sodium bicarbonate (10). In a separate study, synovial fluids from diseased knee joints were allowed to sit for two months and nanobacteria propagated with most having a spherical shape less than 2 micrometers in diameter (11).…”

Molecular biology of oncogenic inflammatory processes. I. Non-oncogenic and oncogenic pathogens, intrinsic inflammatory reactions without pathogens, and microRNA/DNA interactions (Review)

“…Prostatectomy specimens freque ntly yield (35%) Propionibacterium acnes, or corynebacteria, or nanobacteria (288291), but preceding genitourinary mycoplasma infections in the prostate might have been unrecognized. Calcifications in cancerous breast or prostate tissues may indicate reactions of hydroxyapatite and nanobacteria, if nanobacteria as true life forms really existed on Mars and were transferred to Earth by meteorites (292). As to genetic predisposition and inflammation, the deletion of glutathione Stransferase gene in combination with the histologic picture of 'proliferative inflammatory atrophy' lead to the precancerous intraepithelial neoplasia (293).…”