Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Important Factors Affecting Induction of Cell Death, Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage by Nano- and Microplastic Particles In Vitro

This review examines what makes tiny plastic particles more or less toxic to cells, finding that smaller particles, longer exposure times, higher concentrations, and positive electrical charges all increase harm. Importantly, the study shows that nanoplastics can penetrate cells, generate damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species, and cause DNA damage, with normal cells being more vulnerable than cancer cells.

2024 Cells 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrostatic attraction of cationic pollutants by microplastics reduces their joint cytotoxicity

This study found that the electrostatic attraction of cationic pollutants to negatively charged microplastic surfaces reduced the joint cytotoxicity of the combined contaminants in cell-based assays, suggesting that microplastics can sequester pollutants and modulate their bioavailability.

2021 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity Induced by Micro-and Nanoplastics through Oxidative Stress: The Role of Co-Exposure to Other Chemical Pollutants

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress — a form of cellular damage — in living organisms, particularly when combined with other chemical pollutants in the environment. Co-exposure to microplastics and chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals tends to be more damaging than either pollutant alone.

2021 International Journal of Zoology and Animal Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of marine pollutants and microplastics on the destabilization of lipid bilayers

Researchers found that marine pollutants and microplastics act synergistically to destabilize lipid bilayers, suggesting that the combined presence of plastic particles and co-adsorbed chemicals may amplify cellular membrane damage beyond what either stressor causes alone.

2023
Article Tier 2

Avaliação do efeito de citotoxicidade dos microplásticos na linhagem mamária humana MCF10A

Researchers assessed the cytotoxicity of microplastics on the non-tumoral human breast cell line MCF10A and explored whether the antioxidant resveratrol could mitigate those effects. The study found that microplastics negatively impacted cell viability and that resveratrol showed potential as a protective agent in the cellular context of MP exposure.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Cancer Progression: Biology and Public Health

This review examines emerging evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics may contribute to cancer-related processes by crossing biological barriers and accumulating in tissues. The study highlights that these particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and barrier dysfunction at the cellular level, and may promote tumor-supporting processes including angiogenesis and immune evasion.

2025 Biomedicines 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The micro(nano)plastics perspective: exploring cancer development and therapy

This review explores the emerging link between microplastics and cancer development. Microplastics can trigger chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone disruption, all of which are known pathways that may promote cancer growth. Interestingly, researchers are also studying whether engineered microplastics could be used as drug carriers for cancer therapy, though long-term effects remain unclear.

2025 Molecular Cancer 52 citations
Article Tier 2

How surface properties of pristine and environmentally exposed microplastics determine particle-cell-interactions

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.

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

In-silico pharmacological insights into the therapeutic potential of microRNAs for microplastic-associated cancers

Researchers systematically screened published literature to identify cancer-related genes altered by microplastic exposure, then computationally evaluated microRNAs with anticancer activity that could target those genes, finding potential miRNA-based therapeutic candidates across breast, gastric, and other microplastic-associated tumor types.

2025 Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and cancer

This review examines evidence linking microplastics to cancer risk, noting that microplastics have been detected at higher concentrations in human tumor tissues than adjacent healthy tissue, and that they can act as vectors for carcinogens while inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity.

2025 European Journal of Cancer Prevention
Article Tier 2

The Immunotoxic Effects of Environmentally Relevant Micro- and Nanoplastics

Researchers characterized the immunotoxic effects of over 20 types of micro- and nanoplastic particles on macrophages and dendritic cells, finding that physicochemical properties such as size, shape, polymer type, and surface oxidation strongly influence immune cell responses.

2025
Article Tier 2

Exploring Metal Nanoparticles Interaction with Cancer Cells

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it reviews the uses of metal nanoparticles in biomedical applications, particularly cancer treatment, and discusses their toxicity profiles.

2023 THE JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics promote metastatic features in human breast cancer

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics, one of the most common types found in human tissue, promoted the spread and invasion of human breast cancer cells in laboratory experiments. The microplastics activated specific signaling pathways that help cancer cells migrate to other parts of the body. While this is a lab study and not proof that microplastics cause cancer in people, it raises important questions about how chronic microplastic exposure might influence cancer progression.

2023 Scientific Reports 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulated in breast cancer patients lead to mitophagy via ANXA2-mediated endocytosis and IL-17 signaling pathway

Researchers found significant accumulation of microplastics in tissue samples from breast cancer patients and identified the molecular mechanism by which the particles enter cells and cause damage. The microplastics bind to a protein called ANXA2, get absorbed into cells, damage mitochondria (the cell's energy factories), and trigger a self-cleaning process called mitophagy. These findings reveal a specific pathway through which microplastics may contribute to cellular damage in cancer patients.

2024 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

From exposure to oncogenesis: a review on the multifaceted roles of microplastics in tumor initiation and progression

This review examined the evidence linking microplastic exposure to tumor initiation and progression, covering physical, chemical, and inflammatory mechanisms by which MPs may promote oncogenesis. The authors conclude that while current evidence is largely preclinical, accumulating data warrant serious concern about microplastics as environmental carcinogens.

2025 Journal of Translational Medicine
Article Tier 2

Impact of Degradation of Polyethylene Particles on Their Cytotoxicity

Researchers found that degradation of polyethylene particles altered their cytotoxicity, with weathered and fragmented PE showing different toxic effects on cells compared to pristine particles, suggesting environmental aging changes microplastic health risks.

2023 Microplastics 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Efectos Celulares De La Exposición a Micropartículas Plásticas En Organismos Acuáticos

This review examines cellular effects of microplastic and nanoplastic exposure in aquatic organisms, synthesizing laboratory evidence that plastics alone or combined with other toxicants cause membrane lysis, mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species generation, genotoxicity, and apoptosis.

2022 Kuxulkab
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics effects in a multiple stressed marine environment

Researchers examined how micro- and nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors in marine settings, finding that realistic multi-stressor scenarios can amplify or modify plastic toxicity in ways single-exposure studies miss.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental microplastics (EMPs) exposure alter the differentiation potential of mesenchymal stromal cells

Researchers evaluated the effects of different-sized microplastics found in water bottles on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. The study found that microplastic exposure altered the differentiation potential of these cells, suggesting that environmental microplastics could potentially affect tissue renewal and homeostasis.

2022 Environmental Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics induce oxidative stress in marine invertebrates?

This review examined whether marine invertebrates exposed to microplastics show evidence of oxidative stress — a common cellular response to toxic injury — finding support for this effect across multiple species and polymer types. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism by which microplastics may harm marine organisms.

2018 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotechnology in cancer treatment: revolutionizing strategies against drug resistance

This review explores how nanotechnology is being used to overcome drug resistance in cancer treatment, using materials like carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and liposomes to deliver drugs more precisely to tumors. While not directly about microplastics, the nanomaterial strategies discussed share relevance with understanding how nano-sized plastic particles interact with human cells and tissues.

2025 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Pollution and Breast Cancer: The Microplastic Component BPA Regulates the Intratumoral Immune Microenvironment and Increases Lung Metastasis

Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastics, was shown to alter the immune environment within breast tumors and increase lung metastasis in mice. The findings suggest that BPA exposure may worsen cancer outcomes by promoting spread of the disease.

2021 Preprints.org 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Synergistic Effects of Microplastics in the Bloodstream and Electromagnetic/Magnetic Fields in Households: A Preliminary Study

This preliminary study examined potential synergistic effects between microplastics in the bloodstream and household electromagnetic/magnetic field exposure, proposing that combined physiological stressors—inflammation from microplastics and cellular disruption from EMF—may compound health risks.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

The Relationship Between Microplastics and Nanoplastics with Cancer: An Emerging Health Concern

This review explores the emerging relationship between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and cancer risk in humans. Researchers summarized evidence suggesting that microplastics can carry carcinogenic substances and may trigger inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways linked to tumor development. The study highlights that while early evidence raises concern, more research is needed to establish clear causal connections between plastic particle exposure and specific cancer types.

2024 International Journal of Hematology and Oncology 3 citations