Neurotoxicity of nanoscale materials

Alokita Karmakar a, Qinli Zhang b, Yongbin Zhang a,*

a Nanotechnology Core Facility, Office of Scientific Coordination, National Center for Toxicological Research,
Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
b School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, 56 XinJian South Road, Taiyuan 030001, China

Nanotechnology has been applied in consumer products and commercial applications, showing a significant impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. Significant evidence indicates that manufactured nanomaterials and combustion-derived nanomaterials elicit toxicity in humans exposed to these nanomaterials. The interaction of the engineered nanomaterials with the nervous system has received much attention in the nanotoxicology field. In this review, the biological effects of metal, metal oxide, and carbon-based nanomaterials on the nervous system are discussed from both in vitro and in vivo studies. The translocation of the nanoparticles through the bloodebrain barrier or nose to brain via the olfactory bulb route, oxidative stress, and inflammatory mechanisms of nanomaterials are also reviewed.

Keywords:Bloodebrain barrier, Nanomaterial, Neurotoxicity, Oxidative stress