Homeopathic liquids diluted until no original molecules remain were found to contain mysterious nanometric assemblies that trigger an immune response.
Science has long dismissed homeopathy because the substances are so diluted that they should be no different from plain water. This study used advanced imaging to find that these ultra-diluted preparations actually contain structured nanoparticles of the original material. When these particles were introduced to a subject, they triggered measurable changes in the body's plasma proteins, including pathways related to the immune system. This suggests that the process of extreme dilution and agitation might be creating physical structures that the body can still detect. While highly controversial, it hints at a physical mechanism for something previously thought to be a total placebo.
Physicochemical characterization of nanoparticles in highly diluted preparations and exploratory plasma proteomic correlates in an N-of-1 study
SSRN · 6730201
The physicochemical properties of highly diluted homeopathic preparations remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated particulate features in Kali carbonicum (K₂CO₃) at 50-millesimal potencies (LM4–LM7), a scale in which each step corresponds to a 1:50,000 dilution. It explored associated plasma proteomic changes in a randomized, placebo-controlled N-of-1 trial. Dynamic light scattering revealed heterogeneous, polydisperse particle populations with low zeta potentials, while sca