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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Evaluation of Trans-epithelial Penetration and Microplastic-induced Tissue Damage in a 3d Model of Human Respiratory Mucosa
ClearAdvanced 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.
A novel 3D intestine barrier model to study the immune response upon exposure to microplastics
Scientists developed a three-dimensional in vitro intestinal model using human epithelial cell lines (Caco-2 and HT-29) to study the immune response to ingested microplastics, finding that microplastics induced inflammatory cytokine release and altered barrier integrity in a dose-dependent manner.
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.
Development of Apical-out Airway Organoids to Evaluate Respiratory Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics
Researchers developed apical-out airway organoids as an in vitro model to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of polystyrene microplastics, finding that microplastic exposure induced inflammation and barrier disruption in a model that better represents human airway exposure than standard cell cultures.
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.
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.
Respiratory Toxicity of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Clinical Outcomes, and Future Threats
This review summarized the respiratory toxicity of airborne microplastics, covering their sources, the routes by which they penetrate deep into lung tissue, and the range of clinical outcomes from chronic inflammation to potential malignancy. The authors warn that inhalation exposure represents an underappreciated and growing public health threat.
Recent advances on transport and transformation mechanism of nanoplastics in lung cells
This review examines how nanoplastics, the smallest fragments of plastic pollution, travel through and affect lung cells after being inhaled. Researchers summarized evidence that these particles can cross cell membranes, trigger inflammation, and undergo chemical changes inside respiratory tissue. The findings underscore that airborne nanoplastics represent a potential threat to human respiratory health that warrants further investigation.
Breathing in danger: Mapping microplastic migration in the human respiratory system
This study used computer modeling to simulate how microplastic particles travel through the human airways when we breathe. Smaller particles and fibers penetrate deeper into the lungs, and faster breathing pushes more particles into the upper airways. The findings help explain where microplastics are most likely to settle in the respiratory system, which is important for understanding potential lung damage from airborne plastic pollution.
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.
Microplastic and plastic pollution: impact on respiratory disease and health
This review pulls together evidence from lab studies, animal experiments, and workplace exposure research showing that inhaled micro- and nanoplastics can affect lung tissue and may contribute to respiratory diseases. However, the authors stress that it remains unclear how much damage occurs at the levels of plastic particles people actually breathe in daily life, highlighting the need for better measurements of real-world exposure.
How microplastics are transported and deposited in realistic upper airways?
This study used computer modeling to simulate how microplastic particles travel and deposit in realistic human upper airway anatomy. Researchers found that larger, irregularly shaped microplastics deposit more readily in the nose and throat compared to smaller spherical particles. The results help explain where inhaled microplastics are most likely to accumulate in the respiratory system, informing health risk assessments.
Detection of microplastics in human nasal mucosa
Microplastic particles were detected for the first time in human nasal mucosa samples, with polymer types and concentrations quantified, providing direct evidence that the upper respiratory tract is a site of microplastic deposition from inhaled air.
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.
Atmospheric microplastic and nanoplastic: The toxicological paradigm on the cellular system
This review examines how airborne microplastics and nanoplastics affect human cells after being inhaled into the lungs. Because these particles are tiny and lightweight, they can penetrate deep into lung tissue and potentially enter the bloodstream. Studies on human cell lines show that inhaled plastic particles can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, raising concerns about long-term respiratory and systemic health effects.
Inhalable microplastics of different shapes disrupt airway epithelial homeostasis: A comparative study of fibers and irregular particles
Researchers compared the lung effects of fiber-shaped versus irregularly shaped microplastics in mice and cell models. They found that fibrous microplastics caused more severe airway damage, inflammation, and disruption of the protective mucus barrier than irregular particles. The study suggests that the shape of inhaled microplastics matters significantly for how much harm they may cause to the respiratory system.
Evaluation of potential toxicity of polyethylene microplastics on human derived cell lines
Researchers tested the toxic effects of two sizes of polyethylene microplastics on human cell lines representing different tissue types. They found that microplastic exposure triggered inflammatory responses and caused cellular damage, with effects varying depending on particle size and cell type. The findings suggest that microplastics commonly encountered in everyday life could pose health risks when they interact with human tissues.
A human Caco-2-based co-culture model of the inflamed intestinal mucosa for particle toxicity studies
Researchers developed an advanced intestinal co-culture model using human Caco-2 cells to better study the toxicity of particles, including micro- and nanoplastics, on inflamed intestinal tissue. The model incorporates immune cells to simulate intestinal inflammation, providing a more physiologically relevant in vitro system for evaluating how plastic particles interact with the gut barrier under both healthy and inflamed conditions.
Microplastics inhalation: evidence in human lung tissue
Microplastic particles were found in human lung tissue samples collected during surgery, confirming that people inhale and retain microplastics in pulmonary tissue, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate among the polymers identified, raising concerns about chronic respiratory and inflammatory effects.
Respiratory Toxicity of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Clinical Outcomes, and Future Threats
This review examined the mechanisms by which inhaled airborne microplastics cause respiratory harm, including inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and impaired mucociliary clearance. The authors also discuss emerging evidence linking microplastic inhalation to worsening asthma, COPD, and potentially lung cancer.
Effect of microplastics deposition on human lung airways: A review with computational benefits and challenges
This review examines how microplastics deposited in human lungs can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced lung function. Because these tiny particles can reach deep into the lungs where oxygen enters the blood, they raise concerns about long-term respiratory disease and the possibility of spreading to other organs.
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.
Determining the toxicological effects of indoor air pollution on both a healthy and an inflammatory-comprised model of the alveolar epithelial barrier in vitro
Researchers tested the effects of indoor air particulate matter on laboratory models of both healthy and inflamed human lung tissue. They found that the particles caused decreased cell viability in the healthy model and triggered different inflammatory responses depending on whether the lung tissue was already in an inflammatory state. The study highlights that people with pre-existing respiratory conditions may respond differently to indoor air pollutants, including particulate matter that can contain microplastic fibers.
Presence of microplastics in human’s respiratory system: bronchoalveolar and bronchial lavage fluid
Researchers analyzed bronchial and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients undergoing bronchoscopy and confirmed the presence of microplastics in the human respiratory system. They characterized the types, sizes, and quantities of microplastic particles found at different levels of the airways. The study provides direct evidence that microplastics deposit within human lungs and suggests that respiratory exposure is a meaningful route of human microplastic intake.