Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Human Airway Organoids and Multimodal Imaging-Based Toxicity Evaluation of 1-Nitropyrene

Researchers developed a new lab model using human airway organoids (miniature organ-like structures) to test how air pollutants damage respiratory cells. Using the pollutant 1-nitropyrene as a test case, they found it caused oxidative stress and disrupted fat metabolism in airway cells. While focused on a specific pollutant, this testing platform could be used to evaluate the respiratory effects of inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics on human airways.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Lung organoids and microplastic fibers: a new exposure model for emerging contaminants

Researchers developed a three-dimensional lung organoid model to study how inhaled microplastic fibers from synthetic clothing affect human lung tissue. The model showed that microplastic fibers triggered an inflammatory response in lung cells, providing a realistic laboratory system for assessing the respiratory health risks of airborne plastic pollution.

2021 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of Microfluidic, Serum-Free Bronchial Epithelial Cells-on-a-Chip to Facilitate a More Realistic In vitro Testing of Nanoplastics

A microfluidic bronchial epithelial cell-on-a-chip model was developed to test nanoplastic toxicity under dynamic flow conditions, with polystyrene nanoplastics found to reduce barrier integrity and trigger inflammatory signaling in a way not fully captured by conventional static cell culture systems.

2021 Frontiers in Toxicology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Human airway organoids and microplastic fibers: A new exposure model for emerging contaminants

Researchers used human airway organoids, an advanced lab model that mimics real lung tissue, to study the effects of microplastic fibers released from household clothes dryers. While the fibers did not stop organoid growth, they reduced the expression of a gene important for airway cell function and became physically embedded within the growing tissue. The study suggests that inhaled microplastic fibers could have long-term implications for lung tissue repair and establishes organoids as a valuable model for studying airborne plastic contamination.

2022 Environment International 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Inflammatory Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Nasal Airway Epithelial Cells

Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause inflammatory cytokine responses in nasal epithelial cells even over short exposure periods. The study also observed ciliary blunting and transcriptional evidence of significant inflammation and stress responses, suggesting that the nasal airway is vulnerable to plastic particle exposure.

2025 International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles: In vitro pulmonary toxicity assessment

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on human lung cells in the laboratory and found that the particles triggered inflammation and oxidative stress. The microplastics also weakened the protective barrier function of lung tissue by depleting key structural proteins. The study suggests that inhaling microplastics may increase the risk of respiratory problems by damaging the lung's natural defenses.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Inhaled Microplastics and Airway Development: Concerning Evidence from Organoids

This commentary discusses evidence from airway organoid models indicating that inhaled microplastics may adversely affect airway development, raising concerns about respiratory health impacts from microplastic inhalation. The piece, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, highlights the implications of this organoid-based research for understanding lung development risks.

2023 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Trans-epithelial Penetration and Microplastic-induced Tissue Damage in a 3d Model of Human Respiratory Mucosa

Researchers used a 3D human respiratory mucosa model to study microplastic penetration, finding that particles crossed the epithelial barrier in a size-dependent manner and caused tissue damage and inflammatory marker upregulation, providing a more realistic model of inhalation risk than 2D cultures.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Article Tier 2

A549 as an In Vitro Model to Evaluate the Impact of Microplastics in the Air

This review examines studies using human lung cells grown in the lab to understand how airborne microplastics may affect the respiratory system. Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics can trigger inflammation, DNA damage, oxidative stress, and cell death in lung tissue. The evidence indicates that inhaled microplastics may pose meaningful risks to respiratory health, though more research is needed on real-world exposure levels.

2023 Biology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxicity analysis of polystyrene nanoplastics in the bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B

Researchers exposed bronchial epithelial cells to europium-doped polystyrene nanoplastics to assess cytotoxicity in a model of the human airway. The nanoplastics caused dose-dependent cell death and inflammatory signaling, supporting concerns about respiratory health effects from inhaled plastic particles.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

In vitro evaluation of nanoplastics using human lung epithelial cells, microarray analysis and co-culture model

Researchers tested polystyrene nanoplastics on two types of human lung cells and found that the particles caused cell damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation-related gene changes at relatively low concentrations. Using a co-culture model that mimics the lung's layered structure, they showed that nanoplastics can trigger immune responses even in cells not directly exposed. The study suggests that inhaled nanoplastics may pose respiratory health risks through both direct toxicity and inflammatory signaling.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 199 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Atmospheric Aging on the Respiratory Toxicityof Polystyrene Nanoplastic Particles

Researchers exposed human bronchial epithelial cells to atmospherically aged polystyrene nanoplastics at an air-liquid interface, finding significantly elevated expression of inflammatory genes IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-6 compared to fresh nanoplastics, demonstrating that environmental aging increases respiratory toxicity.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the pulmonary toxicity of PSNPs using a Transwell-based normal human bronchial epithelial cell culture system

Researchers used a Transwell air-liquid interface cell culture system to assess how polystyrene nanoplastics affect human bronchial epithelial cells, finding that even ultralow, non-cytotoxic doses triggered inflammatory signaling (NF-κB, NLRP3), while higher doses induced apoptosis and autophagy — suggesting nanoplastics pose a pulmonary health risk at ambient exposure levels.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological effects of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics on human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models without and with M cells.

Researchers exposed human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models with and without M cells to polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics, finding that nano-plastics caused greater disruption of barrier integrity and uptake than micro-plastics, and that M cell-containing models showed enhanced particle translocation compared to standard epithelial models.

2023 Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine
Article Tier 2

Alveolar macrophages promote lung organoid outgrowth but do not protect against negative effects of PA6,6 microplastics on developing airway organoids

Researchers added alveolar macrophages to developing airway organoids to test whether these immune cells protect lung tissue from the harmful effects of polyamide 6,6 microplastics. Macrophages promoted organoid growth but failed to shield airway cells from microplastic-induced damage, with leaching chemicals rather than the particles themselves being responsible for toxicity.

2025
Article Tier 2

Human airway organoids as 3D in vitro models for a toxicity assessment of emerging inhaled pollutants: Tire wear particles

Researchers used human airway organoids as three-dimensional models to assess the toxicity of tire wear particles, an emerging inhaled pollutant. The study found that tire wear particles inhibited organoid growth, induced cell death and oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner, and upregulated inflammatory gene expression, suggesting potential harmful effects on human airways.

2023 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Pulmonary Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics: A Hierarchical Oxidative Stress Mechanism Driving Acute–Subacute Lung Injury

Researchers investigated the pulmonary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics smaller than 100 nm in lung epithelial cells and macrophages, finding that exposure triggered a hierarchical oxidative stress mechanism that drove acute to subacute lung injury through lipid peroxidation and inflammation.

2025 Research
Article Tier 2

Functioning human lung organoids model pulmonary tissue response from carbon nanomaterial exposures

Researchers developed functioning human lung organoids to model how pulmonary tissue responds to carbon nanoparticle exposure, finding inflammatory and structural changes consistent with respiratory injury. The organoid system offers a human-relevant platform for studying inhaled particle toxicity, including from microplastics and air pollution.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a model to test microplastic impact on lung epithelial barriers formation and functionality

Researchers developed an air-liquid interface lung epithelial model using A549 cells on PET inserts to evaluate the impact of PET and polystyrene microplastics on the human lung barrier, characterizing transepithelial electrical resistance and permeability over time to establish a stable barrier model more representative of natural alveolar conditions than standard submerged culture.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of Atmospheric Aging on the Respiratory Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastic Particles

Researchers exposed human bronchial epithelial cells to atmospherically aged polystyrene nanoplastics at an air-liquid interface, finding that oxidized particles significantly elevated inflammatory gene expression (IL-8, TNF-α, IL-6) compared to fresh particles, demonstrating that environmental aging enhances respiratory toxicity.

2025 Chemical Research in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Development of a Novel Air–Liquid Interface Culture System to Investigate the Effects of Nanoplastics on Alveolar Epithelium

Researchers developed an air-liquid interface exposure chamber specifically designed for nanoplastics that float in liquid culture media, exposing alveolar epithelial cells to nanoplastic aerosols and finding toxicological effects that would be missed by standard submerged culture systems.

2025 Atmosphere
Article Tier 2

Internalization and toxicity: A preliminary study of effects of nanoplastic particles on human lung epithelial cell

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene nanoplastic particles on human lung cells and found that the particles were internalized by the cells and caused dose-dependent toxicity. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupted normal cell function. The findings suggest that inhaling airborne nanoplastics may pose risks to respiratory health.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 613 citations
Article Tier 2

Inhalation toxicity of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics using modified OECD TG 412

Researchers conducted inhalation toxicity testing of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in rats using a modified OECD standard protocol. They found that inhaled plastic particles caused inflammatory responses in lung tissue and were detected in various organs, indicating systemic distribution after inhalation. The study provides important regulatory-relevant data suggesting that airborne microplastics pose measurable inhalation health risks.

2020 Chemosphere 186 citations
Article Tier 2

Organoid-based platforms for investigating microplastic-induced human organ toxicity

This review examines how lab-grown miniature organ models, called organoids, are being used to study the health effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure on human tissues. Evidence from brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and intestinal organoid models shows that plastic particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and impaired tissue development. The technology offers a more realistic way to study plastic toxicity compared to traditional cell culture or animal experiments.

2025 Organoid 2 citations