Nanoparticles and Innate Immunity

Interaction of nanoparticles entering the body with the cells and factors of innate immunity is practically immediate. Such interaction may have two opposite outcomes: either the innate immune system considers the nanoparticles harmless and does not react to them, or nanoparticles can trigger an inflammatory defensive reaction. In the case of an innate/inflammatory reaction, which is indeed the normal defensive activity of innate immunity, how this reaction develops with time is what makes the difference between a healthy physiological response and a prepathological reaction. This chapter will therefore examine the ways of interaction between the innate immune system and nanoparticles and their outcomes in terms of immune responses and eventual impact on human health. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.