Explaining why some nanoparticles are harmful

Eicosanoids as Mediators of Nanoparticle-Induced Cardiovascular Disease

Dr Mark Miller is working out whether a group of fats made in the body are responsible for harming our heart and circulatory system. The fats, called eicosanoids, may be causing the harmful effects that very small particles, known as nanoparticles, have on our heart and blood vessels. Nanoparticles are minute pieces of material which we are exposed to every day in the air we breathe. Some are naturally occurring and do not affect health, whilst others are produced from urban air pollution and can cause or exacerbate diseases of the heart, lungs and blood vessels. Scientists are developing new manufactured nanoparticles for many applications, such as engineering, electronics and drug delivery. We don’t currently know if they share the same damaging effects. Dr Miller believes eicosanoids may explain the damaging effects of nanoparticles. In this project, he will measure eicosanoid levels in cells exposed to various harmful and manufactured nanoparticles. These measurements may provide unique fingerprints that can be used to predict the harmful actions of nanoparticles in people. They will also develop new toxicity lab tests to reduce the need for animal experiments, and will identify new biomarkers that flag nanoparticle exposure and toxicity. These experiments will give us new insights into how some nanoparticles cause disease and may reveal new ways to predict harm. The findings will help scientists design new nanoparticles without harmful characteristics.