Recent years have seen an increase in the public’s awareness of nanoparticles and a large amount scientific research into the potential health risks associated with them. The tiny particles, millionths of a millimetre in size, are found within a variety of everyday food, cosmetic and medical products.
Produced through environmental processes such as combustion, common examples of nanoparticles include titanium dioxide (used in consumer products) and silicon dioxide (found in paints and as a food additive).
Due to their size, nanoparticles are able to enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact, raising concerns about their impacts on human health, including during pregnancy, where low birth weight, autism and respiratory diseases are among possible consequences of exposure.
The Role of the Placenta
The process of ensuring the safe and healthy development of a baby is something the body has evolved intricate mechanisms to protect. One such mechanism is controlled by the placenta, an organ that forms exclusively during pregnancy.
The placenta supplies the foetus with nutrients in the womb and the placental barrier mechanism works as a shield to keep pathogens and harmful substances away from the developing foetus.
While it is largely effective at doing so, certain environmental substances (estrogens, for example) can pass through the placental barrier and are believed to be connected with various diseases. Now, research by Tina Bürki and her team at Empa’s Particles-Biology Interactions laboratory has questioned how well the barrier protects against another threat: nanoparticles.
Potential Risks to Babies in the Womb
The growing body of research developed by Bürki and her team suggests that nanoparticles could pose significant risks to unborn children during pregnancy, despite the direct and in-direct impacts of nanoparticles on unborn babies remaining unclear.
While existing research suggests that the placental barrier does work to prevent a large number of nanoparticles directly crossing through to the foetus, Bürki and her team have suggested that there could also be indirect implications of nanoparticles during pregnancy, even if those nanoparticles do not then directly reach the unborn child and are stopped by the placental barrier.
Making use of human placental tissues obtained after planned caesarean sections, the Empa team are actively investigating the indirect effects of nanoparticles during pregnancy. Their research so far suggests that the presence of nanoparticles in the placenta disrupts communication in the womb, inhibiting the production of ‘messenger substances’ that enable critical communication between the placenta and unborn child and that ordinarily facilitate healthy development. Their research suggests nanoparticles may disrupt this communication method, something that may trigger potentially serious changes in blood vessel or organ formation.
Interestingly, initial findings from the research suggest that the development of the nervous system remains largely unaffected by nanoparticles, but further research is needed to understand the full spectrum of potential impacts.
Implications and Further Research
A healthy placenta is vital for a child’s development in the womb. Therefore, understanding the risks posed by environmental disruptors, including nanoparticles, is crucial.
While the research is in its relatively early stages, it works to highlight the potential risks posed by nanoparticles and the importance of further research in this area. It is challenging to avoid exposure to nanoparticles entirely during pregnancy, and further research is essential to developing better protective measures and ensuring the well-being of mother and child.
