Journal of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials

Cell signaling pathways involve several proteins, called kinases, to pass on vital messages from the transmembrane-proteins, e.g., receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to the nucleus of a cell through a cascade of processes for various activities such as controlled cell division, proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, DNA replication and repair. Alterations in these signaling proteins combined with genetic and/or epigenetic mutations spawn various types of cancer that empowers the cells to ignore or maneuver the immune signals and carry on felonious activities such as uncontrolled cell division and growth, genetic instability, angiogenesis around the tumor in hypoxia, eluding the body’s immune system, cell migration, and invasion of surrounding healthy cells.

In nature, nanoparticles can be found as natural or synthetic. Nanoparticles may form either physically or chemically. Nanoparticles are uniform types of common material whose dimensions are less than 100 nm. Volcanic ash, ocean spray, fine sand, and dust are some examples of natural nanoparticles.

The upsurge in world population has placed an active demand on the quest for a good life and industrialization. This has also resulted in the continual discharge of pollutants, which include heavy metals, cosmetic products, fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceutical wastes, dyes, etc., into the available water bodies through various anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, the continual increase in the above-mentioned pollutants vis-à-vis pharmaceutical contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem is a call for concern.