We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
How surface properties of pristine and environmentally exposed microplastics determine particle-cell-interactions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how surface properties of pristine versus environmentally exposed microplastic particles determine their interactions with cells, including attachment and internalization. The study found that physicochemical properties such as surface charge, functional groups, and eco-corona coatings are critical determinants of particle-cell interactions, underscoring the need for thorough particle characterization in cytotoxicity studies.
Microplastic particles ubiquitously found in the environment are taken up by various organisms, including humans. Upon uptake, microplastic particles can translocate from the primarily exposed organs to other tissues, likely by cellular internalization. The process of cellular internalization of particulate matter is determined by several factors. In the case of microparticles, their surface properties determine their interactions with cells, including internalization, and potential health effects. We show how the initial surface properties determine the cellular interactions of pristine and environmentally exposed microplastic particles. Furthermore, we describe how the environmental exposure of microplastic particles alters their surface properties and discuss how these alterations consequently change the number of particle-cell interactions and internalization. Especially the physicochemical surface properties of a microplastic particle, like its surface charge, functional groups and the coating with an eco-corona, are important factors for particle attachment, internalization and subsequent cellular reactions. Therefore, an in-depth characterization of the used particles in cytotoxicity studies is essential. We can only conclude the cause of possible toxicity from microplastics if we understand which properties of the plastic particles determine their reactivity towards cells. Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/428259/document
More Papers Like This
Unravelling the knot: Microplastic properties and their correlation with the cellular response
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers correlated the physico-chemical properties of microplastic particles -- including surface chemistry, size, and surface charge density -- with cellular uptake and biological responses in model cell lines, finding that macrophages engulfed significantly more particles than epithelial cells, and that uptake and downstream inflammatory effects were size- and surface charge-dependent.
Environmental exposure enhances the internalization of microplastic particles into cells
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers discovered that microplastic particles exposed to natural environmental conditions are taken up by cells at significantly higher rates than pristine, lab-fresh plastic particles. The study suggests that environmental weathering changes the surface properties of microplastics in ways that make them more likely to be absorbed into living tissue, which has important implications for understanding real-world exposure.
Cellular internalization pathways of environmentally exposed microplastic particles: Phagocytosis or macropinocytosis?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the cellular internalization pathways of environmentally exposed microplastic particles, examining whether phagocytosis or macropinocytosis is the dominant uptake mechanism and how the eco-corona of adsorbed proteins on MP surfaces influences cell-particle interactions.
Properties and Related Effects of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: From the Organismic to Cellular Level
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers the properties of microplastics in aquatic environments — including polymer chemistry, particle size, shape, and surface charge — and how these characteristics determine their biological effects from the cellular to organismal level in aquatic organisms.
Unravelling protein corona formation on pristine and leached microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that when microplastics encounter proteins in biological fluids, they get coated in a "protein corona" that depends heavily on the plastic's chemical additives, surface area, and how much it has been weathered in the environment. This coating changes how microplastics behave in the body, meaning toxicity studies need to account for these real-world surface changes.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.