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Nanoplastics Impair Neuroimmune Integrity Via Cellular Retention and Multiple Organelle Stress
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) don't kill brain and immune cells outright, but they get stuck inside them and build up over time, stressing out the cell's internal "cleanup" and energy-making systems. Immune cells called macrophages, whose job is to gobble up foreign particles, were especially affected, and even nerve cells showed signs of low-level inflammation. This suggests that everyday plastic exposure could quietly accumulate in our cells and contribute to long-term brain and immune problems—something researchers are just beginning to understand.
The biological persistence of nanoplastics (NPs) has raised growing concern regarding their potential to accumulate in human tissues yet their impact on neuroimmune cellular function remains largely undefined. Here, we investigated the neuroimmune effects of polystyrene NPs (100, 200, and 1000nm; 10 and 100µg/mL) across neuronal (SH-SY5Y, PCNs) and immune cells (THP1, macrophages). Cellular responses were assessed through analyses of cytotoxicity, immunocytochemistry and cytokine profiling. NPs exposure did not induce acute cytotoxicity but promoted persistent intracellular retention accompanied by lysosomal dysfunction, dysregulated autophagic flux, ER stress, and constrained mitochondrial function, thereby inducing a sublethal multi-organelle stress response. Macrophages exhibited greater vulnerability consistent with phagocytic burden, while inflammatory challenge further enhanced NPs uptake, reinforcing intracellular persistence. In contrast, neurons showed limited extracellular cytokine secretion yet accumulated intracellular IL-1β, suggesting low-grade inflammatory activation. Such responses were recapitulated in PCNs, supporting translational relevance across neuronal models. The cumulative nature of these observations suggests that NPs exposure may give rise to previously unrecognized accumulation-related pathologies, a phenomenon we term “plasticoma” as a conceptual framework, to describe the preferential deposition of non-degradable plastic particles within cells, to frame and stimulate future investigations into NP accumulation and pathology. These findings position NPs as potential determinant of neuroimmune dysfunction and highlight the importance of strategies aimed at mitigating their biological accumulation. Environmental Implications NPs are increasingly present in the environment, yet their biological effects remain poorly understood. This study demonstrates that NPs can biological barriers and reach and accumulate in cells to disrupt key cellular processes across neuroimmune systems. These findings highlight potential risks associated with chronic environmental exposure and underscore the need to develop targeted strategies to mitigate NPs associated neuroimmune dysfunction and related human health impacts.
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Do nanoplastics reshape microglial support of neuronal resilience? A study of microglial bioenergetics and microglia–neuron communication in vitro
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Scientists exposed brain cells in a lab dish to tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) to see how they affect microglia—immune cells that support and protect neurons. They found that low amounts of plastic actually boosted microglia's energy levels and their ability to help neurons handle stress, but high amounts overwhelmed the cells' energy production and weakened this protective support. This suggests that as nanoplastic exposure builds up, it could make brain cells more vulnerable to damage—though this was shown in cells in a dish, not in living animals or people, so more research is needed to know what this means for human brain health.
Adverse interactions of plastic nanoparticles with cultured primary microglial cells.
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Tiny plastic particles from broken-down polystyrene (a common plastic) can get absorbed into brain immune cells called microglia, causing stress damage and triggering inflammation, according to lab tests on these cells. This matters because microglia act as the brain's cleanup crew and first line of defense, so if microplastics cause them to malfunction, it could contribute to brain inflammation linked to neurological problems—though this study was done in isolated cells, not in living people, so more research is needed to know exactly what this means for human brain health.
Nanoplastic Particle Exposure Induces Toxicity and Amplifies Cellular Stress in THP‐1 Macrophages: Insights on Molecular Pathways and Circulating Proteome Interaction
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can damage immune cells called macrophages, causing cell stress, energy production problems, and cell death. Even more concerning, these plastic particles made existing health threats worse, they amplified inflammation, promoted the buildup of artery-clogging "foam cells" linked to heart disease, and intensified damage from air pollution chemicals. This suggests that as nanoplastics accumulate in the environment, they may not just be harmful on their own, but could also worsen the effects of other health risks we're already exposed to.
Nanoplastics-induced neurotoxicity: neurovascular dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and mechanisms of cell death.
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This review summarizes existing research on how tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics may affect the brain. Studies in lab models suggest these particles can disrupt the brain's protective barrier, trigger cell stress and death, and interfere with brain cell communication, which researchers link to memory and behavior problems in experimental models.
Micro- and Nanoplastics and the Immune System: Mechanistic Insights and Future Directions
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This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt the human immune system at the cellular level, impairing key immune cells like macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells. The particles trigger chronic low-grade inflammation through oxidative stress and activation of inflammatory pathways, and can worsen autoimmune conditions like lupus and inflammatory bowel disease in animal studies. These findings raise concerns that ongoing microplastic exposure could gradually weaken immune function and contribute to immune-related diseases in people.
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