Hormesis in Low-Dose Pharmacology: Mechanisms, Misinterpretations, and Translational Limits
Gennesis Baculima, Maria Augusta Teran, Juan Ignacio Ferrario, Enrique TeranObjective:
This mini-review examines hormesis as a biologically grounded bipha-sic dose–response phenomenon and distinguishes it from homeopathy and ultra-low-dose pharmacology.
Methods:
A narrative mini-review approach was used, based on targeted searches of biomed-ical and bibliographic databases, citation tracking of key publications, and prioritization of verifiable peer-reviewed and official sources relevant to hormesis, biphasic dose–response relationships, low-dose pharmacology, adaptive responses, and translational interpretation.
Results:
Hormesis is characterized by low-dose stimulation, protection, or adaptive signaling and high-dose inhibition or toxicity. Representative examples occur across toxicology, mi-crobiology, pharmacology, aging research, exercise physiology, nutrition, and radiation biol-ogy, with mechanisms involving redox signaling, heat shock proteins, Nrf2 activation, sirtuins, autophagy, and DNA repair responses.
Discussion:
Hormesis is distinct from homeopathy and from ultra-low-dose pharmacology. Its interpretation is constrained by endpoint dependence, narrow dose windows, publication bias, reproducibility challenges, and limited clinical translation.
Conclusion:
Hormesis should be understood as a biphasic response pattern rather than as a therapeutic doctrine. Its scientific value depends on mechanistic plausibility, rigorous dose–response modeling, selective citation, and cautious interpretation of low-dose effects.