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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic Exposure in COPD Alters the Immune Microenvironment: Implications for Tumor-Promoting Inflammation
ClearDetrimental effects of microplastic exposure on normal and asthmatic pulmonary physiology
Researchers exposed both healthy and asthmatic mice to airborne microplastics and found significant lung inflammation, immune activation, and increased mucus production in both groups. Microplastic particles were taken up by immune cells called macrophages, and gene analysis revealed changes in immune response, cellular stress, and cell death pathways. The study suggests that inhaling microplastics may worsen respiratory health in both normal and vulnerable populations.
Microplastic-Induced Macrophage Dysfunction Drives Lung Tumor Progression through Glutathione Imbalance
Researchers found that microplastics trigger a cascade of immune dysfunction in macrophages through toll-like receptor signaling, leading to disrupted glutathione metabolism and macrophage cell death via ferroptosis. In tumor-bearing mice, orally ingested microplastics accumulated in the lungs and remodeled the immune microenvironment over time, with increased infiltration of inflammatory macrophages and impaired lymphocyte function accompanying greater tumor burden.
Potential toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics in primary bronchial epithelial cells of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics affect lung cells taken from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that already impairs breathing. The study aimed to determine whether plastic particle exposure poses additional toxic risk to people whose airways are already compromised.
The impaired response of nasal epithelial cells to microplastic stimulation in asthma and COPD
Researchers exposed nasal lining cells from healthy people, asthma patients, and COPD patients to polyamide microplastic fibers and found that diseased airways responded very differently than healthy ones. Asthma cells showed changes in cholesterol metabolism and stress responses, while COPD cells showed altered immune cell movement and signaling. This suggests that people with existing respiratory conditions are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of inhaled microplastic fibers.
Impact of Microplastic Exposure on Airway Inflammation in an Acute Asthma Murine Model
Mouse experiments found that microplastic exposure worsened inflammatory responses in healthy lungs but did not further aggravate airway inflammation in mice with pre-existing asthma, suggesting the lung's response to microplastics depends on baseline immune state.
Exposure and inhaling of microplastics: An evidence of cause of cancer
This review examined the evidence linking microplastic inhalation to cancer risk, covering how inhaled MPs accumulate in the lungs, trigger chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage, and may contribute to lung carcinogenesis. The authors identified microplastic inhalation as an underappreciated occupational and environmental cancer risk.
Environmental Pollution and Breast Cancer: The Microplastic Component BPA Regulates the Intratumoral Immune Microenvironment and Increases Lung Metastasis
Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastics, was shown to alter the immune environment within breast tumors and increase lung metastasis in mice. The findings suggest that BPA exposure may worsen cancer outcomes by promoting spread of the disease.
Inhaled Microplastics Inhibit Tissue Maintenance Functions of Pulmonary Macrophages
Researchers found that inhaled microplastics accumulate in lung macrophages, the immune cells responsible for cleaning and maintaining lung tissue, and significantly impair their normal functions. The microplastic-laden macrophages showed reduced ability to perform tissue maintenance tasks that are essential for lung health. The study provides evidence that breathing in microplastics could compromise the lung's built-in defense and repair systems, with potential implications for respiratory health.
Inhaled microplastics and lung health: Immunopathological effects and disease implications
This review examines the molecular mechanisms by which inhaled microplastics damage lung health, focusing on oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune disruption. Researchers found that microplastics trigger reactive oxygen species production, deplete antioxidants, impair mitochondrial function, and compromise immune defenses in lung tissue. The evidence indicates that microplastics may also act as carriers for other toxic pollutants, amplifying respiratory health risks.
Role of microplastics in the tumor microenvironment (Review)
This review examines how microplastics may help tumors grow by influencing the environment around cancer cells. Microplastics can interact with immune cells, connective tissue cells, blood vessel cells, and the tissue scaffolding around tumors in ways that may promote cancer progression and inflammation. While more research is needed, the findings raise important questions about whether chronic microplastic exposure could affect cancer development in humans.
Single-cell transcriptome analysis of liver immune microenvironment changes induced by microplastics in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver
Using advanced single-cell analysis, researchers showed that microplastics worsened non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice fed a high-fat diet by changing how immune cells behaved in the liver. Microplastic exposure amplified inflammatory responses and altered the communication between different liver cell types. This study is important because it reveals specific immune mechanisms by which microplastics could worsen liver disease, a condition already affecting roughly one in four adults worldwide.
Microplastics Exposure Impact on Lung Cancer—Literature Review
This review examines the relationship between micro- and nanoplastic exposure and lung cancer development, summarizing evidence that these particles can enter the respiratory system through inhaled air, contaminated food, and other pathways. Researchers found that microplastics may promote inflammatory and oxidative processes in lung tissue that are associated with cancer progression. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure warrants consideration as a potential contributing factor in lung cancer research.
Detection and quantification of microplastics in various types of human tumor tissues
Researchers detected microplastics in 43% of tumor samples across lung, gastric, colorectal, cervical, and pancreatic cancers, with polystyrene, PVC, and polyethylene being the types found. In pancreatic tumors, microplastic presence was associated with fewer immune cells that fight cancer and more immune cells linked to tumor progression, suggesting microplastics may create conditions that help tumors evade the immune system.
Mechanism of circRNA_SMG6 mediating lung macrophage ECM degradation via miR-570-3p in microplastics-induced emphysema
In a rat study, inhaling polystyrene microplastics for 90 days caused lung damage resembling emphysema, including inflammation, thickened tissue walls, and enlarged air sacs. The microplastics triggered the breakdown of the structural support network in the lungs through a specific molecular pathway involving circular RNA. This research provides a mechanism by which breathing in microplastic particles could contribute to chronic lung disease in humans.
Exposure and inhaling of microplastics: An evidence of cause of cancer
This review examined microplastic inhalation as a potential cause of cancer, surveying pathways by which inhaled MP particles accumulate in lung tissue and drive oncogenic processes through inflammation, oxidative damage, and DNA strand breaks. The evidence reviewed supports classifying microplastic inhalation as an emerging environmental cancer risk factor.
Investigation of the presence of microplastics and their clinical significance in patients with exacerbation and stable periods of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Researchers examined the presence of microplastics in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during exacerbation and stable phases. MPs were detected in a majority of patient samples, and their presence was associated with greater airway inflammation, suggesting inhaled microplastics contribute to COPD pathology.
Single-cell RNA-seq analysis decodes the kidney microenvironment induced by polystyrene microplastics in mice receiving a high-fat diet
Using advanced single-cell gene analysis, researchers found that mice fed both polystyrene microplastics and a high-fat diet suffered significantly worse kidney damage than either exposure alone. The combination reshaped the kidney's cellular environment, promoting scarring, triggering cancer-related pathways, and altering immune cell populations. This is particularly relevant to human health because many people are simultaneously exposed to microplastics through food and drink while also consuming high-fat diets.
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.
Microplastics: An emerging environmental risk factor for gut microbiota dysbiosis and cancer development?
This review examines how microplastics may disrupt the gut microbiome and immune system in ways that could promote cancer development. Evidence from recent studies suggests microplastics can cause chronic inflammation, alter the balance of gut bacteria, and trigger molecular pathways linked to several cancer types including lung, liver, breast, and colon cancer. While more human research is needed, the review highlights a concerning connection between microplastic exposure, gut health, and cancer risk.
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Profiling Cellular Heterogeneity and Specific Responses of Fish Gills to Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Using advanced single-cell sequencing, researchers mapped how individual cell types in fish gills respond differently to micro- and nanoplastic exposure. Microplastics mainly affected immune cells called macrophages, while nanoplastics primarily targeted T cells, and a structural cell type called fibroblasts was especially sensitive to microplastics. This detailed cell-level view reveals that plastic particles of different sizes can trigger distinct immune and tissue responses.
From Exposure to Oncogenesis: the Role of Microplastics and Associated Pollutants in Cancer - a Literature Review
This literature review examined the growing evidence linking microplastic exposure to cancer development. Microplastics have been found in human lung, liver, and colon tissue, and research suggests they may promote cancer through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and by carrying known carcinogens like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants into the body.
4 Single cell RNA-seq samples exposed to nano plastic particles
Researchers used microfluidic chip-based single-cell RNA sequencing to profile the transcriptional responses of human peripheral blood immune cells exposed to carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles of three sizes (40 nm, 200 nm, or a mixture), providing a cell-type-resolved view of nanoplastic effects on the immune system.
Microplastics: an often-overlooked issue in the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer
This review explores how microplastics that accumulate in the human body may trigger long-lasting inflammation, which is a known driver of cancer development. The authors describe how microplastics can disrupt the gut microbiome, activate immune responses, and alter signaling pathways in ways that could promote tumor growth over time.
Microplastics exposed by respiratory tract and exacerbation of community-acquired pneumonia: The potential influences of respiratory microbiota and inflammatory factors
Researchers found that microplastics were present in the lungs of pneumonia patients, and that patients with severe pneumonia had higher levels of microplastics in their airways than those with milder cases. The microplastics appeared to worsen lung infections by disrupting the balance of airway bacteria and increasing inflammation. This study provides early evidence that inhaled microplastics may make respiratory infections more dangerous in humans.