Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Structure of soft and hard protein corona around polystyrene nanoplastics—Particle size and protein types

Researchers characterized the protein corona that forms around polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes, finding that particle size influences which proteins bind and how tightly, with implications for nanoplastic toxicity and biological uptake.

2020 Biointerphases 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Cell uptake of mixtures of different-sized nanoplastics: Interplay and mechanism

Researchers studied how two sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics interact during cellular uptake, finding that larger 100 nm particles can pull smaller 50 nm particles into cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, while smaller particles alter the protein corona of larger ones in serum, either enhancing or inhibiting uptake depending on concentration ratios.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Correlation between cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in HeLa cells: A size-dependent matter

Researchers tested polystyrene particles of various sizes on human cells and found that only the smallest nanoplastics, those under about 25 nanometers in radius, could enter cells and cause toxic effects. Larger microplastic particles did not penetrate the cell membrane and showed no toxicity even at very high concentrations. The study provides a clear explanation for why smaller plastic particles tend to be more harmful, directly linking cell entry to cellular damage.

2023 PLoS ONE 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Protein Corona Formation and Polystyrene Nanoparticle Functionalisation on the Interaction with Dynamic Biomimetic Membranes Comprising of Integrin

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoparticles interact with blood proteins and cell membranes to understand potential health effects of nanoplastic exposure. They found that when blood proteins coat the nanoparticles, forming a so-called protein corona, it actually reduces the particles' ability to damage cell membranes. The study suggests that the body's natural protein coating of nanoplastics may offer some protection against membrane disruption, though the long-term implications remain unclear.

2024 ChemBioChem 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of differently-sized polystyrene nanoplastics by human lung and intestine cells

Researchers examined how human lung and intestine cells take up polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes, finding that smaller particles were internalized in greater numbers but at lower total mass compared to larger ones. When compared on a surface area basis, the uptake rates were similar across sizes, suggesting that surface interactions with cell membranes play a key role. The findings indicate that particle size is an important factor to consider when evaluating the health risks of nanoplastic exposure.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Defining the size ranges of polystyrene nanoplastics according to their ability to cross biological barriers

Researchers systematically examined polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes to define the size ranges at which they can cross biological barriers, providing a more precise definition of nanoplastic dimensions relevant to toxicological assessment.

2023 Environmental Science Nano 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in zebrafish liver cells: Influence of protein corona on transport, oxidative stress, and glycolipid metabolism

Scientists studied how proteins in biological fluids coat nanoplastic particles (forming a "protein corona") and how this coating changes the way cells take up and process the plastics. The protein coating actually increased how many nanoplastics entered liver cells and made them harder to clear out, suggesting that once nanoplastics enter the bloodstream, the body's own proteins may make the contamination harder to eliminate.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Tailor-Made Protein Corona Formation on Polystyrene Microparticles and its Effect on Epithelial Cell Uptake

Researchers investigated how protein corona formation on polystyrene microparticles affects epithelial cell uptake, finding that the initial protein precoating critically influenced final corona composition and particle-cell interactions while leaving cell viability unaffected.

2022 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular internalization and release of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics

Scientists studied how polystyrene plastic particles of different sizes enter and exit living cells. They found that particles 50 and 500 nanometers in size can penetrate cell membranes and get taken up through multiple pathways, while 5-micrometer particles are too large to enter cells. This research helps explain why smaller nanoplastics may be more harmful to human health, as they can more easily get inside our cells and accumulate there.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 373 citations
Article Tier 2

Compromised Autophagic Effect of Polystyrene Nanoplastics Mediated by Protein Corona Was Recovered after Lysosomal Degradation of Corona

Researchers discovered that when polystyrene nanoplastics enter biological environments, proteins coat their surface forming a protective corona that initially reduces their toxic effects on cells. However, once cells internalize the particles and break down the protein layer in lysosomes, the original toxicity returns, including blocked autophagy and lysosomal damage. The study reveals that protein coronas temporarily mask nanoplastic toxicity rather than permanently neutralizing it.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics

Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano-plastics and gastric health: Decoding the cytotoxic mechanisms of polystyrene nano-plastics size

Researchers examined how different sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics affect human stomach cells in the laboratory. They found that smaller nanoplastics were more readily taken up by the cells and caused greater damage, including increased oxidative stress and reduced cell survival. The study suggests that nanoplastic particle size plays a critical role in determining their potential impact on gastrointestinal health.

2023 Environment International 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment on interactive prospectives of nanoplastics with plasma proteins and the toxicological impacts of virgin, coronated and environmentally released-nanoplastics

Researchers found that nanoplastics quickly coat themselves in blood proteins, forming a multi-layered "corona" that changes the proteins' shape and makes them biologically harmful; these protein-coated nanoplastics caused more DNA and cell damage in human blood cells than bare nanoplastics. The study highlights the need to regulate nanoplastics in medical products and better understand how they accumulate in the body.

2019 Scientific Reports 289 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics as an ecotoxicological hazard: cellular and transcriptomic evidences on marine and freshwater in vitro teleost models

Researchers tested the effects of two sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics on fish cell lines from both freshwater and marine species. They found that smaller 20-nanometer particles were significantly more toxic than larger 80-nanometer ones, causing cell death through apoptosis and disrupting multiple biological pathways. The study provides evidence that nanoplastic size is a key factor in determining toxicity to aquatic organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular insights into nanoplastics-peptides binding and their interactions with the lipid membrane

Using computer simulations, researchers studied how nanoplastics interact with small protein fragments and cell membranes at the molecular level. They found that nanoplastics readily bind to proteins, forming a coating called a protein corona, which changes how the plastics behave when they encounter cell membranes. This research helps explain how nanoplastics might enter human cells, since the protein coating could either help or hinder the particles from crossing biological barriers.

2024 Biophysical Chemistry 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on autophagy response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of two different sizes affect human umbilical vein endothelial cells, focusing on a cellular cleanup process called autophagy. They found that smaller nanoplastics were taken up by cells more readily and caused greater disruption to autophagy function than larger particles. The study suggests that nanoplastic size is a critical factor in determining cardiovascular health risks, as these particles can impair the cells lining blood vessels.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 199 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake and toxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in gastric cells: Effects of particle size and surface functionalization

Researchers evaluated the uptake and toxicity of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in human gastric cells, comparing different sizes and surface treatments. The study found that smaller 50-nanometer particles were taken up at significantly higher rates, with positively charged aminated particles being the most toxic, causing cytotoxicity at lower concentrations and higher rates of cell death.

2021 PLoS ONE 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Time evolution of protein corona formed by polystyrene nanoplastics and urease

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with urease to form a protein corona over time, finding that the corona's composition and structure evolve dynamically, potentially altering the environmental fate and hazards of nanoplastics.

2022 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of bisphenol A and nanoscale and microscale polystyrene plastic exposure on particle uptake and toxicity in human Caco-2 cells

Researchers studied how human intestinal Caco-2 cells take up polystyrene plastic particles of five different sizes ranging from 300 nanometers to 6 micrometers. The study found that smaller particles were taken up at higher rates and that co-exposure with bisphenol A increased cellular toxicity, suggesting that nanoscale plastics may pose a greater risk to human intestinal cells than larger microplastics.

2020 Chemosphere 267 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of the polymer type on the impact of microplastic particles

Researchers compared cellular toxicity of microparticles made from polystyrene, polyethylene, PVC, PLA, and cellulose acetate in murine macrophages and epithelial cells, finding that polymer type influences cytotoxicity and uptake behavior. All particle types were ingested by macrophages, but their surface chemistry and charge affected the degree of cellular damage.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

The internal dose makes the poison: higher internalization of polystyrene particles induce increased perturbation of macrophages

Researchers exposed human macrophages, key immune cells, to polystyrene particles of different sizes and found that smaller particles were internalized more readily and caused greater cellular disruption. Nanoscale plastics triggered stronger inflammatory responses and more oxidative stress than larger microplastics. The study suggests that the amount of plastic actually absorbed by immune cells, not just the amount present in the environment, determines how harmful the exposure is.

2023 Frontiers in Immunology 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on liver cells based on particle size, surface functionalization, concentration and exposure period

Researchers systematically studied the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on human liver cells, varying particle size, surface chemistry, concentration, and exposure duration. They found that smaller particles were internalized more readily and that surface functionalization significantly influenced toxicity, with aminated particles causing the most cell damage. The study suggests that particle characteristics beyond just size play an important role in determining how micro- and nanoplastics affect human cells.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Lipid Corona Formation on Micro- and Nanoplastic Particles Modulates Uptake and Toxicity in A549 Cells

Researchers found that lipid corona formation on micro- and nanoplastic particles significantly modulates their cellular uptake and toxicity in human lung cells, suggesting that biological coatings alter how plastic particles interact with human tissues.

2023 Materials 8 citations