Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Uptake and Effects of Micro‐, Submicro‐ and Nanoplastics Investigated on in vitro Models of the Intestinal Barrier and the Liver

Researchers investigated the uptake and toxic effects of micro-, submicro-, and nanoplastics using in vitro models of the intestinal barrier and liver to assess how plastic particles of different sizes interact with gastrointestinal and hepatic cells. The study examined cellular internalization, barrier integrity, and metabolic responses to characterize size-dependent toxicity mechanisms.

2024 Lebensmittelchemie
Article Tier 2

Advanced epithelial lung and gut barrier models demonstrate passage of microplastic particles

Researchers tested microplastics of various sizes, shapes, and materials on advanced lab models of human lung and gut tissue, finding that several types — including polystyrene spheres and nylon fibers — physically crossed the tissue barrier, disrupted its integrity, and triggered inflammation, providing direct evidence that microplastics can penetrate our body's defenses.

2022 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential and challenges of developing physiologically-based toxicokinetic models to support human health risk assessment of microplastic and nanoplastic particles

This review explores the challenge of building computer models to predict how micro- and nanoplastics move through the human body after being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. While particle size and surface chemistry are well-studied, factors like shape, polymer type, and biological coatings need more attention. The authors propose a framework for a physiologically-based model that could help scientists better estimate how much plastic actually reaches human tissues.

2024 Environment International 28 citations
Review Tier 2

Can the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on human health really be assessed using in vitro models? A review of methodological issues

This review examines whether lab-based cell studies can reliably predict how micro and nanoplastics affect human health. The authors found significant inconsistencies in how researchers choose plastic particle types, doses, and exposure methods, making it hard to compare results across studies. The paper calls for standardized testing protocols so that lab findings can more accurately reflect real-world microplastic exposure risks to people.

2023 Environment International 34 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro bioassays as a tool to evaluate risk assessment of micro and nanoplastics

Researchers reviewed the use of in vitro bioassays for evaluating the risks of micro- and nanoplastics at relevant biological barriers including the gut, lung, and placenta. Cell-based assays were identified as valuable tools for mechanistic investigation, but require standardization before results can be used in formal risk assessment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Towards the development and applications of blood-brain barrier in vitro models for neurotoxicity assessment

Researchers reviewed the current state of in vitro blood-brain barrier models and their utility for evaluating the neurotoxic potential of environmental contaminants including micro- and nanoplastics. The review identifies validation challenges and argues for more human-relevant model systems to close gaps in regulatory neurotoxicity assessment.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and human health: Integrating pharmacokinetics

This review takes a pharmacology-based approach to understanding how microplastics move through the human body, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Evidence suggests that smaller particles (under 10 micrometers) can cross the gut barrier and accumulate in organs like the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Understanding these pathways is essential for determining what levels of microplastic exposure might actually cause harm to human health.

2023 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex intestinal and hepatic in vitro barrier models reveal information on uptake and impact of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics

Using laboratory models of human intestinal and liver barriers, researchers studied how plastic particles of different sizes cross from the gut into the body. Smaller nanoplastics (25 nm) were more readily taken up than larger microplastics, and the intestinal mucus layer provided some protection against particle absorption. The study also found signs of oxidative stress and changes in how liver cells process foreign substances after plastic exposure, providing insight into how ingested microplastics could affect human organs.

2023 Environment International 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental human placental models for studying uptake, transport and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics

This review describes experimental human placental models available for studying how micro- and nanoplastics cross the maternal-fetal barrier, including cell cultures, organ-on-chip devices, and tissue perfusion systems. Researchers note that while microplastics have been detected in human placenta, the potential effects on pregnancy and fetal development remain largely unexplored. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and calls for urgent research into the reproductive health risks of plastic particle exposure.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards the development and applications of blood-brain barrier in vitro models for neurotoxicity assessment

This review examined the development and applications of in vitro blood-brain barrier models for assessing neurotoxicity of chemicals, drugs, and particles including nanoplastics. The authors argue that human cell-derived BBB models are critical alternatives to animal testing for predicting neurological effects of emerging contaminants.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Local and systemic effects of microplastic particles through cell damage, release of chemicals and drugs, dysbiosis, and interference with the absorption of nutrients

This review describes how microplastic particles can harm human health through multiple pathways: directly damaging cells at the point of contact, releasing absorbed chemicals, disrupting gut bacteria, and interfering with nutrient absorption. Only particles smaller than 5 micrometers can cross the body's protective barriers and reach organs, but larger particles can still cause harm by acting within the digestive and respiratory tracts. The review emphasizes that actual human health impacts depend on real-world exposure levels, which are still debated.

2024 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part B 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Capturing and Quantifying Particle Transcytosis with Microphysiological Intestine‐on‐Chip Models

A microphysiological intestinal model was used to quantify how nano- and microparticles cross the gut epithelium by transcytosis, providing more realistic transport data than standard Caco-2 monolayer assays. The system revealed size-dependent transport efficiency with implications for both drug delivery optimization and health risk assessment of ingested particles.

2022 Small Methods 15 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

An inverted in vitro triple culture model of the healthy and inflamed intestine: Adverse effects of polyethylene particles.

Using a laboratory model of the human intestinal lining, researchers tested how polyethylene microplastics affect intestinal cells and found they disrupted the barrier function of the gut wall. A compromised intestinal barrier allows larger molecules and particles to pass into the body, which could amplify the health effects of microplastic ingestion.

2021 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Fetus Exposure to Drugs and Chemicals: A Holistic Overview on the Assessment of Their Transport and Metabolism across the Human Placental Barrier

This review examines the various experimental methods used to study how drugs and chemicals cross the placental barrier and reach the developing fetus. Understanding how contaminants including microplastics can pass from mother to baby is essential for protecting fetal health and developing safer guidelines for chemical exposure during pregnancy.

2024 Diseases 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic tissue model in vitro and its application for assessment of microplastics-induced toxicity to air-blood barrier (ABB)

Researchers developed a dynamic in vitro air-blood barrier model that mimics human blood flow and shear stress to evaluate the toxicity of PET microplastics. The study found that this dynamic model more accurately reflected physiological conditions compared to conventional static models, providing a more reliable tool for assessing how inhaled microplastics may damage lung tissue.

2023 Biosensors and Bioelectronics 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Epidermal and dermal cell-composed organospheres to assess microplastic-induced skin toxicity

Researchers developed lab-grown skin tissue models using mouse epidermal and dermal cells to test how microplastics affect skin health. They found that smaller microplastics were taken up more readily by cells and could penetrate through the skin's outer layer into deeper tissue. The study suggests that microplastics in personal care products may pose size-dependent risks to skin health, with the smallest particles being the most concerning.

2025 Biomaterials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of ingested polystyrene micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) uptake and translocation in an in vitro tri-culture small intestinal epithelium

Researchers used a sophisticated laboratory model of the human small intestine to study how micro- and nanoplastics cross the gut barrier after simulated digestion. They found that smaller nanoplastics were absorbed more efficiently than larger microplastics, and the particles used multiple cellular pathways to cross the intestinal lining. The study provides new evidence about the mechanisms by which ingested plastic particles could potentially reach the bloodstream.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Human Health

This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics can enter the human body through the gut, lungs, and skin, and what potential health effects they might cause at the cellular level. While there is growing evidence that these particles trigger toxic responses in cells, research into their specific effects inside the human body is still limited. The paper calls for more studies on how nanoplastics in particular move through human tissue barriers and what long-term damage they may cause.

2021 Nanomaterials 883 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro bioassays as a tool to evaluate risk assessment of micro and nanoplastics

This review evaluated in vitro bioassays as tools for risk assessment of nano- and microplastics, examining how cell-based systems can reveal molecular-level effects as plastic particles cross biological barriers and enter cells. The review identified key endpoints and assay types most informative for characterizing the risk of plastic particles to human health.

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

Penetration of micro/nanoplastics into biological barriers in organisms and associated health effects

This Chinese-language review systematically examined how micro- and nanoplastics penetrate gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin barriers in humans and model organisms, and how they translocate via blood circulation to accumulate in organs including the liver, brain, testes, and placenta.

2023 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent Internalization of Microplastics and Nanoplastics Using In Vitro Model of the Human Intestine—Contribution of Each Cell in the Tri-Culture Models

Using a lab model of the human intestine, researchers showed that smaller plastic nanoparticles (50 nm) crossed the gut lining more easily than larger ones, with specialized immune-sensing cells playing a key role in uptake. The particles that got through could potentially enter the bloodstream. This study helps explain how the tiniest plastic particles in food and water might get inside the human body.

2024 Nanomaterials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics behavior of PE and PET oligomers in lipid bilayer simulations

Researchers used computer simulations to study how tiny plastic fragments from PET and polyethylene enter cell membranes, finding that small plastic molecules pass through with little resistance and can concentrate inside membranes — suggesting passive entry into cells is possible for nanoplastics just a few nanometers in size.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 3 citations