Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Molecular effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human neural stem cells

Researchers exposed human brain stem cells to tiny polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and cell death. These findings suggest that nanoplastics could potentially harm brain development if they reach neural tissue, though more research is needed to understand real-world exposure levels.

2024 PLoS ONE 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoparticles induce DNA damage and apoptosis in HeLa cells

Researchers exposed human HeLa cells to polystyrene nanoplastics — particles smaller than 100 nm — and found that even short exposures at low concentrations caused DNA damage, abnormal cell division, and signs of cell death including apoptosis and necrosis. The results suggest nanoplastics can directly damage human cell DNA, raising concerns about the health implications of everyday nanoplastic exposure.

2024 Heliyon 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Alter DNA

Researchers demonstrated that positively charged polystyrene chains can bind directly to DNA helices through electrostatic interactions with phosphate groups, inducing structural changes in the DNA. The findings suggest nanoplastics with charged surfaces could interfere with DNA structure and function at the molecular level.

2025 Nano Letters 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles leads to dysfunction in DNA repair mechanisms in Caco-2 cells

Researchers found that exposing intestinal cells (Caco-2) to polystyrene nanoplastics impaired DNA repair mechanisms even at doses that didn't kill the cells, raising concern that nanoplastic exposure could lead to genetic instability and long-term health risks over time.

2025 Biological Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure caused defective neural tube morphogenesis through caveolae-mediated endocytosis and faulty apoptosis

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused abnormal neural tube formation in early embryonic development by being taken up through a specific cellular pathway and triggering defective cell death. The findings suggest nanoplastics could potentially interfere with fetal brain development, raising serious concerns about exposure during pregnancy.

2021 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Tiny plastic, big trouble: how polystyrene nanoparticles impact DNA-damage repair deficient cervical cancer cells

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoparticles affect cervical cancer cells with DNA-damage repair deficiencies. The study found that exposure to uniformly sized polystyrene nanoparticles had cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, suggesting that microplastic exposure may have particular consequences for cells already compromised in their ability to repair DNA damage.

2026 Soft Matter
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure caused defective neural tube morphogenesis through caveolae-mediated endocytosis and faulty apoptosis

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused abnormal neural tube formation during early embryonic development by disrupting normal apoptosis. The findings raise concerns about nanoplastic exposure during fetal development, as nanoplastics are small enough to cross the placental barrier.

2021 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Cyto-Genotoxic Effect Causing Potential of Polystyrene Micro-Plastics in Terrestrial Plants.

Exposure of plant root cells to polystyrene microplastics at multiple size ranges caused chromosome aberrations, reduced root length, and other cytological damage at higher concentrations. The findings indicate that microplastic particles can cause genotoxic effects in terrestrial plants, with implications for the health of food crops grown in plastic-contaminated soils.

2022 Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
Article Tier 2

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes brain abnormalities in progeny

Researchers found that maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused brain abnormalities in offspring, demonstrating that nanoplastics can cross maternal barriers and affect neurological development in progeny with implications for developmental toxicology.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Activate Autophagy and Suppress Trophoblast Cell Migration/Invasion and Migrasome Formation to Induce Miscarriage

In mouse and cell studies, polystyrene nanoplastics at doses near real-world human exposure levels caused miscarriage by blocking the movement of placental cells needed for a healthy pregnancy. The nanoplastics triggered a cellular recycling process called autophagy that broke down key proteins required for placental cell migration and invasion.

2024 ACS Nano 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure caused defective neural tube morphogenesis through caveolae-mediated endocytosis and faulty apoptosis

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused defective neural tube development in embryos through disruption of normal cell death processes and caveolae-mediated cellular uptake. The study suggests that nanoplastics, which can cross the placental barrier, may pose risks to fetal development by interfering with critical early-stage neurological formation.

2021 Nanotoxicology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in human white blood cells after ex vivo exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics

Human white blood cells were exposed ex vivo to polystyrene nanoplastics and showed DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage, and changes in immune cell activation markers, suggesting that nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations could cause genotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in people.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics as a Potential Environmental Health Factor: From Molecular Interaction to Altered Cellular Function and Human Diseases

This review examined how nanoplastics — particularly polystyrene — interact with cells at the molecular level, potentially causing lasting changes that could contribute to developmental problems and degenerative disease. The study highlights growing concerns about nanoplastics as an emerging environmental health risk given their widespread presence in food, water, and air.

2021 Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxic and dysmetabolic impact of polystyrene nanoplastics, a new potential atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factor, on a steatosis model of HepG2 cells

Researchers exposed cell cultures to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant cytotoxic effects and metabolic disruption including mitochondrial dysfunction and altered glucose metabolism, suggesting nanoplastics may act as a novel class of metabolic disruptors.

2025 European Atherosclerosis Journal
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics affect transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of human fibroblasts and derived induced pluripotent stem cells: Implications for human health

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics altered transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures in human fibroblasts and derived induced pluripotent stem cells, demonstrating that plastic particle exposure can cause lasting molecular changes with potential implications for human health.

2022 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Unmasking the Invisible Threat: Biological Impacts and Mechanisms of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Cells

This review summarizes how polystyrene nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles found throughout the environment, damage cells through multiple pathways including oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Nanoplastics can trigger several forms of cell death and disrupt normal cell processes like autophagy (the cell's recycling system). The findings raise concerns about long-term human health effects from chronic exposure to these nearly invisible plastic particles.

2024 Toxics 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Teratological, neurochemical and histomorphic changes in the limbic areas of F1 mice progeny due to co-parental polystyrene nanoplastic exposure

Researchers exposed parent mice to polystyrene nanoplastics before and during pregnancy and found that offspring exhibited skeletal and visceral malformations, impaired neonatal reflexes, learning deficits, and structural brain changes — including reduced hippocampal neurons — demonstrating transgenerational neurodevelopmental harm from nanoplastic exposure.

2024 Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Biology of Human Neural Stem Cells and Human Cerebral Organoids.

This study investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human neural stem cells and human cerebral organoids, examining whether nanoplastics that have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and placenta can disrupt normal brain development. Given the lack of prior research on nanoplastic effects on the developing brain, the findings carry significant implications for understanding neurodevelopmental risks from early-life plastic exposure.

2023 IBRO Neuroscience Reports
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induce cognitive dysfunction and dendritic spine deterioration via excessive mitochondrial fission

Researchers demonstrated that polystyrene nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in mouse brains, leading to cognitive impairment and loss of connections between brain cells. The damage was driven by excessive splitting of mitochondria, the energy-producing structures within cells, which triggered runaway cellular cleanup processes. Importantly, a drug that blocks this mitochondrial splitting reversed the cognitive damage, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach to nanoplastic-related brain injury.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential threats of nanoplastic accumulation in human induced pluripotent stem cells

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in human induced pluripotent stem cells over long-term exposure, causing subtle changes in cell differentiation and raising concerns about nanoplastic threats to human developmental biology.

2021 Chemical Engineering Journal 33 citations
Article Tier 2

The Biological Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

Researchers assessed the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human peripheral blood lymphocytes using chromosomal aberration and micronucleus assays. They found dose-dependent increases in cell damage, chromosomal abnormalities, and hemolytic activity at the tested concentrations. The study provides evidence that nanoplastic particles can cause genetic damage to human immune cells under laboratory conditions.

2022 Nanomaterials 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastic Exposure Triggers an Activation and Stress Response in Human Astrocytes

Researchers exposed primary human astrocytes to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that these particles triggered cellular stress responses, including increased production of reactive oxygen species and activation of inflammatory pathways. Nanoplastics were particularly effective at penetrating cells and disrupting normal astrocyte function. The findings suggest that plastic particle exposure may contribute to neuroinflammatory processes in the brain, warranting further investigation into potential neurotoxic effects.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioeffects of Nanoplastics: DNA Damage and Mechanism

This review examines how nanoplastics, plastic particles smaller than one micrometer, can damage DNA in cells. The authors explain that nanoplastics may cause genetic damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, and direct interference with cellular processes, which raises concerns about potential long-term health effects including cancer risk.

2025 Nano Letters 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics affect seed germination, cell biology and physiology of rice seedlings in-short term treatments: Evidence of their internalization and translocation

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics were absorbed by rice roots and translocated to shoots, impairing seed germination, seedling growth, and cell division while disrupting reactive oxygen species homeostasis in short-term treatments.

2022 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 108 citations