Integrating Environmental Exposures, Epigenetic Programming and Nanotechnology for Chronic Disease Prevention in the One Health Era

Chronic diseases rank among the major challenges for global public health, and interactions between environmental exposures, biological susceptibility, and developmental processes increasingly shape their severity. Evidence indicates that exposure to air pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals can promote oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine dysregulation, and epigenetic alterations, particularly during critical developmental periods. Through mechanisms consistent with the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework, these disruptions can contribute to long-term susceptibility to cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, neurodegenerative, and neoplastic diseases. In this context, nanotechnology offers emerging opportunities for prevention, early detection, monitoring, targeted therapy, and environmental remediation. Nanobiosensors and nanoscale diagnostic platforms can enable the sensitive detection of molecular and epigenetic biomarkers, while nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems can improve therapeutic targeting and controlled release. Concurrently, nanomaterials, magnetic nanocomposites, photocatalytic systems, and green nanotechnologies demonstrate potential to remove or transform environmental contaminants and reduce human exposure. However, the translational maturity of these applications varies substantially, ranging from clinically approved nanomedicines to predominantly preclinical and laboratory-scale approaches, underscoring the need for rigorous safety assessments, regulatory frameworks, and validation under real-world conditions. Overall, integrating nanotechnology with environmental health, epigenetic research, sustainability, and the One Health approach may offer a multidisciplinary pathway toward earlier interventions, reduced exposure, and the prevention of chronic diseases, while simultaneously promoting human, animal, and environmental health.