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Polystyrene Nanoplastics Disrupt Immune Cell Development and Suppress T Cell Activation via mTOR and ERK Signaling
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Scientists gave young mice water containing tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) for three weeks and found it disrupted their immune systems, shrinking immune cell numbers in the spleen and throwing off the balance of key immune cells that fight infections. It also weakened T cells, the immune system's frontline defenders, by interfering with internal cell signals they need to activate. While this study was done in mice, it raises real concerns about what the microplastics we're increasingly exposed to through food, water, and air might be doing to our own immune defenses.
effect of PS-NPs on immune cell development further, 3-week-old mice were administered water containing PS-NPs for 3 weeks. Subsequent analysis of various immune cells in the thymus, bone marrow, and spleen revealed a decrease in cell numbers in the spleen following PS-NP treatment, as well as changes in the composition of conventional dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells. These findings suggest that PS-NPs can perturb immune cell-associated responses and homeostasis.
More Papers Like This
The Emerging Threat of Micro- and Nanoplastics on the Maturation and Activity of Immune Cells
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This review examines how micro and nanoplastics affect the immune system, focusing on their impact on immune cell development and function. Studies show that these tiny plastic particles can alter how immune cells mature and respond to threats, potentially weakening the body's defenses or triggering excessive inflammation. Since humans are constantly exposed to microplastics through food, water, and air, understanding these immune effects is critical for assessing long-term health risks.
The Potential Immunotoxicity Induced by Long‐Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Rats
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Rats exposed to nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles) for three months showed weakened immune defenses and increased inflammation, along with damage to immune organs like the spleen and thymus. While this study was in rats, not humans, it raises concern about what long-term plastic exposure might do to our own immune systems.
Cellular response of THP-1 macrophages to polystyrene microplastics exposure
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Researchers exposed human macrophage cells to polystyrene nanoparticles smaller than 450 nanometers and observed significant decreases in cell viability, increased oxidative stress, and DNA damage. The particles also reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibited cell proliferation. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure may impair immune cell function in humans, highlighting potential risks to the immune system.
Generation of Eroded Nanoplastics from Domestic Wastes and Their Impact on Macrophage Cell Viability and Gene Expression
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Researchers created nanoplastics from common household plastic waste like water bottles, styrofoam, and plastic bags, then tested their effects on immune cells. All types of nanoplastics killed immune cells in a dose-dependent way and triggered changes in genes related to inflammation, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene being the most toxic. This study shows that the tiny plastic particles shed from everyday items can harm immune cells, which could weaken the body's ability to fight infection and disease.
Nanoplastics impair antitumor NK and CD8⁺ T cell cytotoxicity and antiviral B cell antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can weaken key immune cells in human blood, making them worse at killing cancer cells and fighting off viruses like SARS-CoV-2. In lab tests, these plastic bits got inside immune cells and blunted their ability to fight tumors and produce protective antibodies. While this was studied in blood samples rather than in living people, it raises concerns about how everyday plastic exposure might quietly weaken our body's defenses against infections and cancer.
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