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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Performance of preclinical models in predicting drug-induced liver injury in humans: a systematic review
ClearPredicting Valproate-Induced Liver Injury Using Metabolomic Analysis of Ex Ovo Chick Embryo Allantoic Fluid
This paper is not about microplastics; it evaluates chick embryo allantoic fluid metabolomics as a model for predicting drug-induced liver injury from valproate.
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.
Microplastic-induced hepatic adverse effects evaluated in advanced quadruple cell human primary models following three weeks of repeated exposure
Scientists tested the effects of microplastics on a sophisticated model of human liver cells over three weeks of repeated exposure, finding that certain microplastic types triggered inflammation and altered liver function. The advanced cell model, which combines four types of human liver cells, provides more realistic results than simpler lab tests. These findings add to growing evidence that microplastics accumulating in the liver could contribute to chronic inflammation and liver damage in humans.
Transforming Toxicity Assessment through Microphysiology, Bioprinting, and Computational Modeling
This review examines emerging alternatives to traditional animal-based toxicity testing, including microphysiology systems, bioprinted tissues, and computational models. Researchers found that these human cell-based platforms can better predict how chemicals and drugs affect human biology while also being more ethical and higher throughput. The study suggests these technologies could transform how chemical safety and drug development testing is conducted.
A computational framework for multi-scale data fusion in assessing the associations between micro- and nanoplastics and human hepatotoxicity
Researchers developed a computational toxicology framework integrating multi-source data and network analysis to map associations between micro- and nanoplastics and hepatotoxicity, identifying key molecular pathways through which MNPs may damage the liver, offering a scalable alternative to traditional in vivo testing.
The Expectation and Reality of the HepG2 Core Metabolic Profile
This meta-analysis of 56 metabolomic datasets identified 288 core metabolites in HepG2 liver cells, revealing significant gaps and inconsistencies in how metabolomic studies report and standardize their findings. While focused on cell biology methodology rather than microplastics, HepG2 cells are commonly used in toxicology studies to assess the effects of microplastic exposure on liver function.
Cell-Based In Vitro Models: Emerging Technologies for Enhanced Drug Permeability Prediction
This paper is not about microplastics. It reviews cell-based laboratory models used to predict how well drugs are absorbed through biological barriers like the gut, lung, and skin. While drug permeation research is relevant to understanding how substances cross body barriers, this study focuses on pharmaceutical development with no connection to microplastic contamination or health effects.
Safety assessment of the SGLT2 inhibitors empagliflozin, dapagliflozin and canagliflozin during pregnancy: An ex vivo human placenta perfusion and in vitro study
Researchers tested three common diabetes drugs (SGLT2 inhibitors) using human placenta tissue and found that all three cross the placental barrier and reach the developing fetus, while also reducing production of the hormone leptin in the placenta. These findings raise safety concerns about using these medications to treat gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Further studies in translatable model systems are needed to predict the impacts of human microplastic exposure.
This review argues that better animal models are needed to accurately predict the health impacts of microplastic exposure on humans, noting that current studies using aquatic organisms and fish may not translate well to human biology. The authors call for more research using mammalian models and for studies that test environmentally realistic exposure conditions including the chemical cocktails associated with plastic particles.
Further Studies in Translatable Model Systems are Needed to Predict the Impacts of Human Microplastic Exposure
This review highlights that humans are inevitably exposed to microplastics through food, drink, and air, but most toxicity studies have been done in aquatic species at unrealistically high doses. The authors call for better experimental models that reflect realistic human exposure before health risks can be fully assessed.
Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics to explore the varied hepatic toxicity induced by aged- and pristine-microplastics: in vivo and human-originated liver organoids-based in vitro study
Using human liver organoids (miniature lab-grown livers), researchers found that sun-aged microplastics caused more damage to liver cells than fresh microplastics, even at concentrations matching what is found inside human bodies. The aged particles specifically disrupted energy production in mitochondria and altered an amino acid metabolism pathway linked to cardiovascular disease. This is significant because most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, meaning the real health risk may be greater than studies using pristine plastics suggest.
Nanoplastics, Liver Injury, and Oxidative Mechanisms: Translating Animal Models Into Human Risk Assessment
This scoping review synthesized evidence from animal studies on how micro- and nanoplastics cause liver injury, focusing on the underlying mechanisms of toxicity. Researchers found that oxidative stress is a principal pathway by which these particles damage liver tissue, and the study evaluates what these preclinical findings may mean for assessing human health risks from plastic particle exposure.
The choice of ultra‐low attachment plates impacts primary human and primary canine hepatocyte spheroid formation, phenotypes, and function
Researchers compared ten different types of laboratory plates used to grow miniature liver tissue models for drug testing and found that the plate material significantly affected how the liver cells behaved. Some plates released microplastic particles or other contaminants that interfered with the cells' function and drug-processing abilities. This is important because unrecognized microplastic contamination in lab equipment could skew the results of medical research and drug safety testing.
Environmental PET-microplastic exposure and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: An integrated computational toxicology and multi-omics study
Researchers used computational toxicology and machine learning to identify six key genes linking PET microplastic exposure to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with the model achieving high diagnostic accuracy and molecular docking suggesting that PET-derived chemicals may directly bind to proteins controlling liver fat metabolism.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-related Classification for Prognosis Prediction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Researchers used gene expression data to create an endoplasmic reticulum stress-based classification system for predicting outcomes in liver cancer patients. The model identified patient subgroups with significantly different survival rates.
Characterizing Freshwater Ecotoxicity of More Than 9000 Chemicals by Combining Different Levels of Available Measured Test Data with In Silico Predictions
Researchers developed a method combining laboratory toxicity data with computer predictions to estimate the ecological hazards of over 9,000 chemicals in freshwater environments. They found that using even limited experimental data alongside predictive models significantly improved the accuracy of environmental risk assessments. The approach could help regulators better evaluate the ecological impact of the thousands of chemicals, including plastic-related compounds, that currently lack comprehensive toxicity data.
Benchmark Dose Estimation from Transcriptomics Data for Methylimidazolium Ionic Liquid Hepatotoxicity: Implications for Health Risk Assessment of Green Solvents
Researchers used transcriptomics and benchmark dose modeling to assess the liver toxicity of the ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium, which has been detected at high concentrations in soils. They identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes involved in inflammatory and metabolic pathways and established toxicity thresholds for health risk assessment. The study raises concerns about the safety of ionic liquids promoted as green solvents, given their potential environmental persistence.
Multi-Omics Analysis of the Gut-Liver Axis Reveals the Mechanism of Liver Injury in Colitis Mice
Researchers used multi-omics analysis to reveal that liver injury in colitis mice is linked to intestinal dysbiosis and altered host-microbiota interactions, with gut bacterial shifts correlating to immune and metabolic changes in the liver.
Therapeutic Effect of Prolyl Endopeptidase Inhibitor in High-fat Diet-induced Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Fatty Liver Disease
Studies in a high-fat diet mouse model of metabolic fatty liver disease found that increased prolyl endopeptidase activity during disease progression may drive the transition from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, and that the PREP inhibitor KYP-2047 showed therapeutic potential.
Application of organoid technology in the human health risk assessment of microplastics: A review of progresses and challenges
This review examines how organoid technology -- miniature lab-grown versions of human organs made from stem cells -- can be used to study the health effects of microplastics more accurately than traditional animal testing. Organoids of the gut, lung, brain, liver, and other organs can better predict how microplastics affect human tissues, potentially accelerating our understanding of the real health risks these particles pose.
Transfer learning enables robust prediction of cellular toxicity from environmental micro- and nanoplastics
Researchers developed a transfer learning approach to predict cellular toxicity from micro- and nanoplastics, overcoming the challenge of limited experimental data. By pre-training a model on a large nanoparticle dataset and fine-tuning it on plastic-specific data, they achieved strong predictive accuracy. The tool allows researchers to estimate the toxicity of various plastic particles based on their physical and chemical properties without extensive new experiments.
Heavy Metals, Halogenated Hydrocarbons, Phthalates, Glyphosate, Cordycepin, Alcohol, Drugs, and Herbs, Assessed for Liver Injury and Mechanistic Steps
This review assesses liver injury mechanisms from a wide range of hepatotoxicants including heavy metals, phthalates, glyphosate, alcohol, drugs, and herbs, providing a toxicology framework to help physicians identify the cause of liver damage.
Targeting Insulin Resistance in Hepatocytes: A Novel Insulin-Mimetic Agent Delivered via an Advanced Nanocarrier System
Researchers developed a Schiff base binuclear vanadium complex delivered via a nanocarrier system and tested its ability to overcome hepatic insulin resistance in cell models of type 2 diabetes. The nanocarrier improved targeted delivery to hepatocytes, reducing toxic side effects while maintaining insulin-mimetic efficacy.
Development of fish liver PLHC-1 spheroids and its applicability to investigate the toxicity of plastic additives
Researchers developed three-dimensional cell clusters (spheroids) from fish liver cells as a more realistic laboratory model for testing the toxicity of plastic additives, finding that spheroids responded differently from flat cell cultures — showing less cell death but greater changes in lipid chemistry. This 3D model better mimics how a real liver responds to chemical exposure, improving the reliability of aquatic toxicity testing for plastic-related chemicals.