Preface

This book has the objective to provide a reference text for toxicologists, materials scientists, and regulators by covering the key issues that define interaction of nanomaterials with the immune system. Altering immune responses can lead to many kinds of pathologies; therefore, it is important to make adequate assessments before new nanomaterials are introduced in the market. On the other hand, negative perception and excessive concerns, based on incomplete or misleading results, need to be avoided by communicating existing knowledge and by defining in the future clear endpoints and thresholds for immunosafety regulations. Nanotoxicology investigations often focus on toxicity leading to death of cells or organisms, while important immune parameters can be affected much earlier and at much lower doses. Some aspects of immunity, for example allergic sensitivity and heightened danger for risk persons with a frail immune system, are usually not covered at all. This gap in nanosafety assessment needs to be filled, not only from a scientific point of view but also for a better implementation of relevant safety regulations. A friend and nanotoxicologist, Jan Mats, told us once: "if we do not consider immunity, we keep studying the mouse without seeing the elephant in the room." To increase the awareness of the importance of immunity in nanotoxicology, several years ago we started the Immunosafety Focus Group within the Working Group "Hazard" of the EU-supported NanoSafety Cluster, and this book intends to disseminate knowledge gained by the research community in this field. The book covers several issues that all stakeholders in nanotechnology should be aware of: identification of endpoints that are relevant for assessing hazard, evaluating impact on immunologically frail populations, considering allergic responses, and how to evaluate chronic/cumulative effects. In addition, the book addresses a very important issue, that is, how to shape and turn the immunomodulating properties of nanomaterials to our advantage for preventive strategies (such as vaccination) or for therapeutic approaches in diseases where immunostimulation is desired (infections, tumors) or where immunosuppression in needed (inflammatory diseases, allergies, autoimmunity). Our goal is to raise awareness about the effects of nanomaterials on our immune system, in order to ensure a safe design or safe use of such materials. We also want to emphasize an especially useful role of the immune system: it has been optimized by evolution to identify whether or not specific foreign materials are dangerous to the body. Finding that out is also the key question in nanosafety, so knowing the opinion of the professional immune cells should be of particular interest to us. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.