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Letter to the Editor: Microplastics as promoters of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Mechanistic insights and implications
Summary
Tiny plastic particles found in our bodies—including the liver—may worsen fatty liver disease by disrupting how liver cells manage fat, handle stress, and clean out damaged parts, according to this commentary on existing lab and animal research. Since fatty liver disease is already the most common chronic liver condition worldwide and can lead to liver cancer, these findings raise concerns about how everyday plastic exposure might be affecting our health, though more human studies are needed to confirm the connection.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide and carries a substantial risk of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. The detection of microplastics (MPs) in human tissues - including the brain, lung, liver, and blood - has emerged as an important environmental health concern. A recent study comprehensively summarized the potential mechanisms by which MPs may induce and exacerbate MASLD. The evidence discussed was largely derived from in vitro and preclinical studies and included hepatic lipid dysregulation, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory signaling, fibrogenesis, gut dysbiosis, and endocrine disruption. This article comments on the study by Rajak et al , published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Hepatology , and specifically highlights how MPs-induced autophagy dysfunction may contribute to MASLD progression and its potential clinical implications.