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Nanoplastics fate under pollutant adsorption and corona modulation mapped by cryo-3D-SIM and cryo-SXT
Summary
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles become more toxic to immune cells when they pick up common pollutants from the environment—but interestingly, when these particles get coated with proteins (similar to what happens naturally in our blood and body fluids), that toxicity drops. This matters because it shows that a plastic particle's danger isn't fixed—it changes based on what it picks up along the way and how our body responds to it, which is important for understanding the real-world health risks of microplastic exposure through breathing and eating.
Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are persistent pollutants with increasing evidence of human exposure through inhalation and ingestion, allowing them to reach various tissues and organs. Their biological impact depends not only on particle size and surface properties but also on the adsorption of environmental pollutants and the rapid formation of a biomolecular corona in physiological media, which jointly modulate particle–cell interactions. Macrophages, central to the recognition and clearance of foreign materials via phagocytosis, represent a key model for investigating MNP-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation. In this study, 300 nm polystyrene (PS) particles were employed as model MNPs and loaded with the cationic organic pollutant Brilliant Green (BG). Pollutant adsorption was quantified and selected concentrations were used in cytotoxicity assays with macrophages. Results showed increased toxicity of PS-BG compared to pristine PS, while the presence of a bovine serum albumin (BSA) corona reduced these effects. Confocal fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy confirmed differences in cellular uptake and morphology: pristine PS exhibited higher internalization, whereas BSA-coated particles showed reduced uptake and better-preserved cellular structures. Despite these insights, current imaging methods remain limited, as confocal microscopy lacks sufficient resolution and TEM requires sectioning. To overcome these limitations, we propose the use of cryo-soft X-ray tomography (cryo-SXT), complemented by cryo-3D-SIM. This correlative approach will provide high-resolution imaging of cells, enabling visualization of particle internalization, intracellular distribution, and organelle-specific alterations, with particular focus on lysosomal pathways. By comparing pristine PS, PS+BG, and their protein-coated counterparts over multiple time points, this study aims to elucidate how pollutant adsorption and corona formation modulate MNPs–cell interactions. These results will advance understanding of nanotoxicology and contribute to nanosafety assessment in environmentally realistic scenarios.