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Predicting bio-corona-induced adsorption and uptake of nanoplastics
Summary
A mathematical model predicts that when nanoplastics travel through biological fluids, they acquire a coating of proteins and other biomolecules (a 'bio-corona') that can redistribute as the particle approaches a cell membrane, generating an attractive force that enables the nanoplastic to bind to and potentially enter the cell. This theoretical finding provides a mechanistic explanation for how nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations could penetrate biological barriers and accumulate inside cells — a key step toward understanding human health risks.
We employ a theoretical approach to predict bio-corona-induced uptake of nanoplastics (NPLs) across plasma membranes (PMs). A lattice self-consistent field theory (SCFT) is used to model the formation of bio-coronae, which are composed of biopolymers adsorbed on NPLs. As the NPL approaches the PM, we show that weak monomer-PM attractions allow the adsorbed biopolymers to redistribute between the two surfaces. This rearrangement can reduce crowding in the bio-corona and induce an effective attraction between the NPL and the membrane. Using the theory of elasticity for lipid membranes, we show that a weak effective attraction enables NPLs to bind to cell membranes, generating excess stress and increasing elastic free energy in the biological barrier. When the effective NPL-PM interactions are sufficiently strong, nanoplastics can be spontaneously internalized by cells within a short time.