Iron nanomedicines induce Toll-like receptor activation, cytokine production and complement activation

Approximately a dozen of intravenous iron nanomedicines gained marketing authorization in the last two decades. These products are generally considered as safe, but have been associated with an increased risk for hypersensitivity-like reactions of which the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that iron nanomedicines can trigger the innate immune system. We hereto investigated the physico-chemical properties of ferric gluconate, iron sucrose, ferric carboxymaltose and iron isomaltoside 1000 and comparatively studied their interaction with Toll-like receptors, the complement system and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Two out of four formulations appeared as aggregates by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis and were actively taken up by HEK293T- and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a cholesterol-dependent manner. These formulations triggered in vitro activation of intracellular Toll-like receptors 3, -7 and -9 in a dose- and serum-dependent manner. In parallel experiments, we determined that these compounds activated the complement system. Finally, we found that uptake of aggregation-prone iron nanomedicines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in whole blood induced production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, but not IL-6.