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Microplastics and Nanoplastics as Emerging Contributors to Carcinogenesis: Mechanisms, Organ-Specific Risks, and Therapeutic Opportunities
Summary
Researchers reviewed plausible mechanistic links between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and cancer risk, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption from plasticizers, and genotoxicity, with particular organ-level vulnerabilities in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and lungs, and outlined interaction-based therapeutic concepts as early countermeasures.
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as ubiquitous environmental contaminants present in air, water, food, and human tissues. Chronic exposure may occur through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal routes, with emerging evidence suggesting biologically relevant accumulation in multiple organ systems. A growing body of literature supports plausible links between MNP exposure and carcinogenesis through overlapping mechanisms including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption from plastic-associated chemicals, genotoxicity, and altered cellular signaling. This perspective reviews key mechanistic pathways, highlights organ-specific vulnerabilities in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and lungs, and outlines interaction-mediated therapeutic concepts as proactive countermeasures. Improved exposure assessment, standardized biomonitoring, and translational mitigation strategies are needed to better define and address cancer-relevant risks in an increasingly plastic-contaminated world.