Purpose: Oxidative stress has been found to play a key role in several diseases, that range from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. Besides traditional anti-oxidant agents, in recent years much attention has been focused on nanotechnological solutions, including cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria).
Methods: Thanks to its extraordinary catalytic properties, nanoceria mimics the activity of superoxide dismutase and of catalase, therefore acting as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger in many biological contexts. In this paper, we report on nanoceria interactions with PC12 cell line, that represents a valuable model for many features of central dopaminergic neurons.
Results: Nanoceria confirmed a strong anti-ROS action but, most interestingly, also showed beneficial effects on both cell differentiation and dopamine production.
Conclusions: Even if deeper examinations will be necessary in order to better clarify the mechanisms at the base of the documented effects, nanoceria demonstrated a significant potential as pharmacological agent in the treatment of neurological disorders.