A model for homeopathic remedy effects: low dose nanoparticles, allostatic cross-adaptation, and time-dependent sensitization in a complex adaptive system

BACKGROUND: This paper proposes a novel model for homeopathic remedy action on living systems. Research indicates that homeopathic remedies (a) contain measurable source and silica nanoparticles heterogeneously dispersed in colloidal solution; (b) act by modulating biological function of the allostatic stress response network (c) evoke biphasic actions on living systems via organism-dependent adaptive and endogenously amplified effects; (d) improve systemic resilience. DISCUSSION: The proposed active components of homeopathic remedies are nanoparticles of source substance in water-based colloidal solution, not bulk-form drugs. Nanoparticles have unique biological and physico-chemical properties, including increased catalytic reactivity, protein and DNA adsorption, bioavailability, dose-sparing, electromagnetic, and quantum effects different from bulk-form materials. Trituration and/or liquid succussions during classical remedy preparation create “top-down” nanostructures. Plants can biosynthesize remedy-templated silica nanostructures. Nanoparticles stimulate hormesis, a beneficial low-dose adaptive response. Homeopathic remedies prescribed in low doses spaced intermittently over time act as biological signals that stimulate the organism’s allostatic biological stress response network, evoking nonlinear modulatory, self-organizing change. Potential mechanisms include time-dependent sensitization (TDS), a type of adaptive plasticity/metaplasticity involving progressive amplification of host responses, which reverse direction and oscillate at physiological limits. To mobilize hormesis and TDS, the remedy must be appraised as a salient, but low level, novel threat, stressor, or homeostatic disruption for the whole organism. Silica nanoparticles adsorb remedy source and amplify effects. Properly-timed remedy dosing elicits disease-primed compensatory reversal in direction of maladaptive dynamics of the allostatic network, thus promoting resilience and recovery from disease. SUMMARY: Homeopathic remedies are proposed as source nanoparticles that mobilize hormesis and time-dependent sensitization via non-pharmacological effects on specific biological adaptive and amplification mechanisms. The nanoparticle nature of remedies would distinguish them from conventional bulk drugs in structure, morphology, and functional properties. Outcomes would depend upon the ability of the organism to respond to the remedy as a novel stressor or heterotypic biological threat, initiating reversals of cumulative, cross-adapted biological maladaptations underlying disease in the allostatic stress response network. Systemic resilience would improve. This model provides a foundation for theory-driven research on the role of nanomaterials in living systems, mechanisms of homeopathic remedy actions and translational uses in nanomedicine

Homeopathy: from tradition to science?

Homeopathy is a form of therapy based on the similarity (\u201csimilia similibus curantur\u201d, like cures like), whose popularity is increasing but whose scientific basis is still under discussion. Starting from the premise that it is a \u201cholistic\u201d medicine, programmatically aimed at the whole person in its entirety and individuality, here we go through an overview of his history, basic concepts and scientific evidence. This therapy was founded by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, although similar concepts existed previously. It has spread around the world in the 19th century, in part because of its success in epidemics outbreaks, but declined during most of the 20th century. Its popularity was increased in the late 20th and early 21st century in many parts of the world and today stands the problem of its integration with conventional medicine. There are different schools of homeopathy. Homeopathy is controversial mainly because of its use of highly diluted medicines, but there is growing evidence that is not a mere placebo. There is a significant body of clinical research including randomized clinical trials suggesting that homeopathy has an effectiveness in curing many symptoms and in improving the quality of life of patients. Cohort studies, observational and economic have produced favorable results. Despite the long history of scientific controversy, homeopathy is an \u201canomaly\u201d of modern medicine that deserves further investigation for its potential scientific and ethical merits

Elastic properties and short-to medium-range order in glasses

International audienceVery different materials are named "Glass," with Young's modulus (E) and Poisson's ratio (nu) extending from 5 to 180 GPa and from 0.1 to 0.4, respectively, in the case of bulk inorganic glasses. Although glasses have in common the lack of long-range order in the atomic organization, they offer a wide range of structural features at the nanoscale and we show in this analysis that beside the essential role of elastic properties for materials selection in mechanical design, the elastic characteristics (E, nu) at the continuum scale allow to get insight into the short- and medium-range orders existing in glasses. In particular, nu, the atomic packing density (C-g) and the glass network dimensionality appear to be strongly correlated. Maximum values for nu and C-g are observed for metallic glasses (nu similar to 0.4 and C-g > 0.7), which are based on cluster-like structural units. Atomic networks consisting primarily of chains and layers units (chalcogenides, low Si-content silicate, and phosphate glasses) correspond to nu > 0.25 and C-g > 0.56. On the contrary, nu < 0.25 is associated with a highly cross-linked network, such as in a-SiO2, with a tri-dimensional organization resulting in a low packing density. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the elastic moduli brings a new light on the structural changes occurring above the glass transition temperature and on the depolymerization rate in the supercooled liquid. The softening rate depends on the level of cooperativity of atomic movements at the source of the deformation process, with an obvious correlation with the "fragility" of the liquid