A Story Told by a Single Nanoparticle in the Body Fluid: Demonstration of Dissolution-Reprecipitation of Nanocrystals in a Biological System

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Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles exist in environmental water but the formation, characteristics and fate of such particles remain incompletely understood. We show here that surface water obtained from various sources (ocean, hot springs, and soil) produces mineralo-organic particles that gradually increase in size and number during incubation. Seawater produces mineralo-organic particles following several cycles of filtration and incubation, indicating that this water possesses high particle-seeding potential. Electron microscopy observations reveal round, bacteria-like mineral particles with diameters of 20 to 800 nm, which may coalesce and aggregate to form mineralized biofilm-like structures. Chemical analysis of the particles shows the presence of a wide range of chemical elements that form mixed mineral phases dominated by calcium and iron sulfates, silicon and aluminum oxides, sodium carbonate, and iron sulfide. Proteomic analysis indicates that the particles bind to proteins of bacterial, plant and animal origins. When observed under dark-field microscopy, mineral particles derived from soil-water show biomimetic morphologies, including large, round structures similar to cells undergoing division. These findings have important implications not only for the recognition of biosignatures and fossils of small microorganisms in the environment but also for the geochemical cycling of elements, ions and organic matter in surface water.

mentioning

confidence: 82%

Formation and characteristics of biomimetic mineralo-organic particles in natural surface water

Wu¹,

Martel²,

Wong

et al. 2016

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“…We observed earlier that mineralo-organic NPs spontaneously form in human and animal body fluids 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 . These mineral NPs were initially described as nanobacteria (NB) and were believed to be not only the smallest cells on earth 29 , but also a possible transmissible cause of numerous diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, kidney stone formation, polycystic kidney disease, and prostatitis 30 21 32 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 86%

Detection and characterization of mineralo-organic nanoparticles in human kidneys

Wong¹,

Wu²,

Martel³

et al. 2015

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Ectopic calcification is associated with various human diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancer, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Although mineral nanoparticles have been detected in calcified blood vessels, the nature and role of these particles in the human body remain unclear. Here we show for the first time that human kidney tissues obtained from end-stage chronic kidney disease or renal cancer patients contain round, multilamellar mineral particles of 50 to 1,500 nm, whereas no particles are observed in healthy controls. The mineral particles are found mainly in the extracellular matrix surrounding the convoluted tubules, collecting ducts and loops of Henle as well as within the cytoplasm of tubule-delineating cells, and consist of polycrystalline calcium phosphate similar to the mineral found in bones and ectopic calcifications. The kidney mineral nanoparticles contain several serum proteins that inhibit ectopic calcification in body fluids, including albumin, fetuin-A, and apolipoprotein A1. Since the mineralo-organic nanoparticles are found not only within calcified deposits but also in areas devoid of microscopic calcifications, our observations indicate that the nanoparticles may represent precursors of calcification and renal stones in humans.

“…confirmed the role of fetuin-A in the formation of CPB 8 . A group from Taiwan (Martel, Young, Wu, Wong, and colleagues) suggested CPB as a part of a physiological cycle that regulates the function, transport and disposal of calcium and phosphorus 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 . However, CPB can accumulate in the body upon an excess of precipitating calcium and phosphate ions or a failure of clearance mechanisms in the body fluid or cell milieu 13 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Apoptosis-mediated endothelial toxicity but not direct calcification or functional changes in anti-calcification proteins defines pathogenic effects of calcium phosphate bions

Kutikhin

Великанова

Mukhamadiyarov

et al. 2016

Calcium phosphate bions (CPB) are biomimetic mineralo-organic nanoparticles which represent a physiological mechanism regulating the function, transport and disposal of calcium and phosphorus in the human body. We hypothesised that CPB may be pathogenic entities and even a cause of cardiovascular calcification. Here we revealed that CPB isolated from calcified atherosclerotic plaques and artificially synthesised CPB are morphologically and chemically indistinguishable entities. Their formation is accelerated along with the increase in calcium salts-phosphates/serum concentration ratio. Experiments in vitro and in vivo showed that pathogenic effects of CPB are defined by apoptosis-mediated endothelial toxicity but not by direct tissue calcification or functional changes in anti-calcification proteins. Since the factors underlying the formation of CPB and their pathogenic mechanism closely resemble those responsible for atherosclerosis development, further research in this direction may help us to uncover triggers of this disease.