The use of cerium oxide nanoparticles in liver disorders: A double-sided coin?

Being recognized as the first antioxidant nanoparticles (NPs) proposed for medicine, cerium oxide NPs (CeO(2)NPs) have recently gained tremendous attention for their vast biomedical applications. Nevertheless, inconsistent reports of either medical benefits or toxicity have created an atmosphere of uncertainty hindering their clinical utilization. Like other NPs advocated as a promising protective/therapeutic option, CeO(2)NPs are sometimes questioned as a health threat. As CeO(2)NPs tend to accumulate in the liver after intravenous injection, liver is known to represent the key tissue to test for their therapeutic/toxicological effects. However, more research evidence is still needed before any conclusions can be elicited about the mechanisms by which CeO(2)NPs could be harmful or protective/therapeutic to the liver tissue. A proper understanding of such discrepancies is warranted to plan for further modifications to mitigate any side effects. Therefore, in this MiniReview, we tried to demonstrate the two sides of the same coin, CeO(2)NPs, within the liver context. As well, we highlighted a few promising strategies by which the negatives of CeO(2)NPs could be diminished while enhancing all the positives.

Automated summary

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO(2)NPs) have gained significant attention in biomedical applications, but inconsistent reports on their medical benefits and toxicity have created uncertainty. This review focuses on their application in the liver and highlights strategies to diminish the negatives and enhance the positives of CeO(2)NPs.