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Toxicity of true-to-life microplastics to human iPSC-derived intestinal epithelia correlates to their protein corona composition
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Using a human intestinal cell model, researchers showed that real-world microplastics from common products (like PET bottles and PVC) damaged the gut lining, increased harmful reactive oxygen species, and triggered inflammatory immune responses. Importantly, the standard polystyrene microplastics commonly used in lab studies did not cause these effects, suggesting that most research may be underestimating the true danger of microplastics. The type of protein coating that forms on each plastic's surface in the body determines how toxic it is to the gut.
Humans are continually exposed to microplastics, now pervasive in the environment. The intestinal epithelium, as a primary barrier tissue, frequently faces high microplastic exposure, yet health implications remain elusive. Using an intestinal epithelial cell model derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, we show intestinal toxicity upon exposure to true-to-life polyethylene terephthalate-TiO2, polypropylene-Talc, polyvinyl chloride and polyamide microplastics. These materials compromised barrier integrity, elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species and stimulated intestinal cytokine secretion. Epithelial perturbations were not observed upon exposure to polystyrene microplastics, which frequently serve as a proxy for product-derived microplastic exposure. Proteomics analysis identified unique protein corona compositions for each microplastic, which correlated with in vitro effects. For example, the abundance of biocorona proteins involved in inflammation strongly correlated to the degree of cytokine secretion. These findings underscore the need for routine availability of true-to-life microplastics and protein corona analysis in hazard assessment to enable safe-by-design plastic development.
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This review summarizes 90 studies on how tiny plastic particles affect gut health, mostly using lab-grown human intestinal cells rather than live animals. Most research used one plastic type (polystyrene) and nanosized particles, finding effects like cell stress, inflammation, and disruption of the gut's protective barrier.
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Mice exposed to PET microplastics, the type commonly found in plastic bottles, developed intestinal inflammation, changes in gut bacteria, and signs of a weakened gut barrier. Even at relatively low doses, the microplastics increased liver stress markers and disrupted the protective mucus layer in the colon, suggesting that everyday PET plastic exposure could contribute to digestive health problems.
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Using a laboratory model of the human intestinal lining, researchers tested how polyethylene microplastics affect intestinal cells and found they disrupted the barrier function of the gut wall. A compromised intestinal barrier allows larger molecules and particles to pass into the body, which could amplify the health effects of microplastic ingestion.
Assessment of micro and nanoplastic toxicity and their protein corona using in vitro and in silico new approach methodologies
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This research improved laboratory and computational methods for assessing microplastic and nanoplastic toxicity in the human intestine. Researchers found that realistic, irregularly shaped secondary nanoplastics were more toxic to intestinal cells than the pristine spherical particles typically used in lab studies. The study also showed that proteins from the body rapidly coat nanoplastic surfaces, forming a corona that influences how particles interact with and affect gut cells.
Protein Corona Stability and Removal from PET Microplastics: Analytical and Spectroscopic Evaluation in Simulated Intestinal Conditions
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Researchers studied how proteins from intestinal fluids form a coating, called a corona, on PET microplastics and how stable that coating is under different cleaning treatments. They found that the protein corona is highly persistent and resists oxidative and surfactant treatments, with only a combined alkaline-surfactant protocol effectively removing it. The findings are important because protein coatings on microplastics can alter how the particles interact with biological tissues and may affect the accuracy of analytical detection methods.
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