Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have unique physicochemical properties with potential to impact diverse aspects of society.  While the research and proposed applications of ENMs continue to grow rapidly, the health and safety of ENMs still remains a major concern to the public as well as to policy makers and funding agencies. With a fast-growth in the number of new ENMs, new inter disciplinary research approaches are necessary now, more than ever, to address safety concerns in light of the vast potential for the use of ENMs in food, cosmetics, medicine, construction, bioimaging, as well as the potential exposures during manufacturing or research use.   While there has been considerable investigation into the properties of ENMs that elicit toxicity, little work has focused on the ability of ENMs to promote or exacerbate allergic disease.  Mast cell activation, which is central to development of allergic disease, has been an impediment to a number of pharmaceuticals and will likely represent a challenge for nanomedicines.  Consequently, research on the health and safety implications of ENMs must address the potential for nanomedicines, nano-based consumer products or occupational exposures and the impact on initiation of allergic disease or exacerbation of underlying allergic diseases such as asthma.  We have established that certain ENMs elicit mast cell activation leading to adverse pulmonary and cardiovascular outcomes. This presentation will present data on the role of physicochemical properties in mast cell activation as well as novel mechanisms of mast cell activation. Lastly, data will be presented demonstrating a significant genetic component in modulating mast cell activation following exposure to nanoparticles.

Understanding mast cell activation in the safe development of nanotechnologies

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.