We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Lipid Corona Formation on Micro- and Nanoplastic Particles Modulates Uptake and Toxicity in A549 Cells
Summary
Researchers found that lipid corona formation on micro- and nanoplastic particles significantly modulates their cellular uptake and toxicity in human lung cells, suggesting that biological coatings alter how plastic particles interact with human tissues.
Plastic waste is a global issue leaving no continents unaffected. In the environment, ultraviolet radiation and shear forces in water and land contribute to generating micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPP), which organisms can easily take up. Plastic particles enter the human food chain, and the accumulation of particles within the human body is expected. Crossing epithelial barriers and cellular uptake of MNPP involves the interaction of plastic particles with lipids. To this end, we generated unilamellar vesicles from POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and POPS (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine) and incubated them with pristine, carboxylated, or aminated polystyrene spheres (about 1 µm in diameter) to generate lipid coronas around the particles. Lipid coronas enhanced the average particle sizes and partially changed the MNPP zeta potential and polydispersity. In addition, lipid coronas led to significantly enhanced uptake of MNPP particles but not their cytotoxicity, as determined by flow cytometry. Finally, adding proteins to lipid corona nanoparticles further modified MNPP uptake by reducing the uptake kinetics, especially in pristine and carboxylated plastic samples. In conclusion, our study demonstrates for the first time the impact of different types of lipids on differently charged MNPP particles and the biological consequences of such modifications to better understand the potential hazards of plastic exposure.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Coronas of micro/nano plastics: a key determinant in their risk assessments
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics develop surface coatings called coronas when they interact with biological and environmental substances. These corona layers, formed from proteins, organic matter, and other materials, can significantly change how plastic particles behave in the body and environment, affecting their uptake, distribution, and toxicity. The study suggests that understanding these surface coatings is essential for accurately assessing the real-world risks of plastic particle exposure.
The Composition of the Eco-corona Acquired by Micro- and Nanoscale Plastics Impacts on their Ecotoxicity and Interactions with Co-pollutants
This review examines how the 'eco-corona' — a layer of environmental biomolecules adsorbing onto plastic particle surfaces — alters the toxicity, transport, and interaction with co-pollutants of micro- and nanoplastics, emphasizing that this biological coating fundamentally changes how plastics behave in living organisms.
Ecotoxicological significance of bio-corona formation on micro/nanoplastics in aquatic organisms
This review examined the ecotoxicological significance of bio-corona formation on micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic organisms, exploring how protein and biomolecule coatings alter the bioavailability, toxicity, and environmental fate of plastic particles.
Assessment on interactive prospectives of nanoplastics with plasma proteins and the toxicological impacts of virgin, coronated and environmentally released-nanoplastics
Researchers found that nanoplastics quickly coat themselves in blood proteins, forming a multi-layered "corona" that changes the proteins' shape and makes them biologically harmful; these protein-coated nanoplastics caused more DNA and cell damage in human blood cells than bare nanoplastics. The study highlights the need to regulate nanoplastics in medical products and better understand how they accumulate in the body.
Uptake of extracellular vesicles into immune cells is enhanced by the protein corona
This study found that a protein coating (called a "corona") that forms around nanoparticles in blood actually increases their uptake by human immune cells called monocytes. While this research focused on extracellular vesicles and liposomes rather than plastic particles, the finding is relevant to microplastics research because similar protein coronas form on plastic nanoparticles in the body, potentially influencing how immune cells interact with them.