Silver Nanoparticles Interactions with the Immune System: Implications for Health and Disease

Abstract

Our immune system constantly interacts with our internal environment, protects us from our external environment and provides the inherent knowledge to sense the difference between friend and foe with important implications in human health and disease (Pozo, 2008). For these reasons, it is important to identify functional alteration of key immune responses as the number of silver nano-enabled products grows while the current data strongly suggest that other related nanomaterials, such as polymer nanoparticles, fullerenes, dendrimers and gold nanoparticles, interact with the immune system. In the present chapter, we will focus on the effects of engineered silver nanoparticles on the initiation and regulation of the immune response. Particular attention will be paid on the potential clinical usefulness of silver nanoparticles in the context of its effects on the production of key immunological mediators, as well as its significance on bacterial and viral infections. By a critical analysis of the current state of knowledge, the chapter will help to reduce the serious lack of information and controversial issues concerning the biological effects of silver nanoparticles on the immune system.