Epigenetic Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials in Toxicology

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly employed across diverse industries, from medicine to electronics. Their nanoscale dimensions confer unique physicochemical properties that enhance performance but also raise concerns about unintended biological interactions. Central among these concerns is the capacity of ENMs to elicit epigenetic modifications—heritable changes in gene expression without alteration of the DNA sequence. Key epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications and remodelling of chromatin architecture. Exposure to certain metal‐ and carbon-based nanoparticles can induce oxidative stress, inflammation and the formation of a protein corona, all of which may trigger aberrant epigenetic regulation. Such alterations have been documented in vitro and in vivo, with potential consequences for developmental programming, carcinogenesis and multigenerational health outcomes. Understanding how ENM characteristics—size, shape, surface chemistry and agglomeration state—influence epigenetic end points is essential for accurate risk assessment and the design of safer nanomaterials.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have applied advanced spectroscopic techniques to elucidate how low-dose carbon-based ENMs modulate the epigenome of human lung cells. Spectral fingerprinting approaches revealed that exposure to fullerene and carbon nanotubes at environmentally relevant concentrations induces global increases in DNA methylation and alters the expression of key DNA methyltransferases. These findings demonstrate that even submicromolar nanoparticle exposures can evoke widespread epigenetic remodelling, highlighting the need to integrate epigenetic end points into nanotoxicology testing frameworks.

Epigenetic Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials in Toxicology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epigenetic effects of engineered nanomaterials in toxicology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Engineered nanomaterial (ENM): Materials deliberately designed with dimensions in the 1–100 nm range, displaying novel physicochemical properties.

Epigenetic modification: Stable alteration in gene expression potential that does not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

DNA methylation: Addition of a methyl group to cytosine bases, often leading to transcriptional repression when occurring in gene promoters.

Histone modification: Post-translational chemical alteration of histone proteins (e.g. acetylation, methylation) that regulates chromatin compaction and gene accessibility.

Protein corona: Layer of biomolecules adsorbed onto the surface of nanoparticles upon exposure to biological fluids, influencing cellular uptake and downstream effects.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen that can induce oxidative stress and modulate signalling pathways, including those governing epigenetic enzymes.

References

1. Protein corona: implications for nanoparticle interactions with pulmonary cells. Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2017).
2. Prolonged Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on p53/p21 Pathway-Mediated Proliferation, DNA Damage Response, and Methylation Parameters in HT22 Hippocampal Neuronal Cells. Molecular Neurobiology (2016).
3. Effects of Laser Printer–Emitted Engineered Nanoparticles on Cytotoxicity, Chemokine Expression, Reactive Oxygen Species, DNA Methylation, and DNA Damage: A Comprehensive in Vitro Analysis in Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells, Macrophages, and Lymphoblasts. Environmental Health Perspectives (2015).
4. Low-dose carbon-based nanoparticle-induced effects in A549 lung cells determined by biospectroscopy are associated with increases in genomic methylation. Scientific Reports (2016).