According to a study, plastic particles could promote the spread of cancer
Vienna (OTS) – The gastrointestinal tract is already known to research as the human body’s main depot for micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs). A research consortium consisting of the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna and other partners led by CBmed GmbH in Graz has now examined the effects of tiny plastic particles on cancer cells in the human gastrointestinal tract. It was shown that MNPs remain in the cell significantly longer than previously assumed, as they are passed on to the newly formed cell during cell division. In addition, initial evidence was discovered that the plastic particles could promote the metastasis of tumors. The study results were recently published in the specialist journal “Chemospheres”.
In addition to breathing, food intake is the most important route of MNPs into the organism. Plastic particles weighing the weight of a credit card (approx. five grams) enter the gastrointestinal tract every week. The team led by study leaders Verena Pichler (University of Vienna, CBmed) and Lukas Kenner (MedUni Vienna, CBmed, Vetmeduni Vienna) examined the interactions between MNPs and various colon cancer cells.
In their analyses, they were not only able to show how MNPs penetrate the cell and where exactly they are deposited, but they also observed their direct effects: Like other “waste products” in the body, the MNPs are absorbed into lysosomes. Lysosomes are cell organelles that are also called the “stomach of the cell” and break down foreign bodies in the cell. However, the researchers observed that, unlike foreign bodies of biological origin, the MNPs are not broken down due to the chemical composition that is foreign to the body. Depending on various factors, the MNPs are even passed on to the newly formed cell during cell division and are therefore likely to be more persistent in the human body than originally assumed. In addition, there are initial indications that MNPs increase the migration of cancer cells to other areas of the body and thus possibly promote the metastasis of tumors. This effect will now be further investigated in a follow-up study.
The smaller, the more harmful
The changed behavior of colon cancer cells in terms of cell migration was primarily determined as a result of interaction with plastic particles that are smaller than one micrometer (1 µm = 0.001 mm). Particles of this size are usually referred to as nanoplastics, which, for example, are 10 to 100 times more common in a water bottle than microplastics. It is undisputed that the smaller plastic particles are, the more harmful they are. “This is once again consistent with the results of our analyses,” emphasizes Verena Pichler. “Our study also allows us to confirm recent findings that suggest that MNPs influence cell behavior and may potentially contribute to disease progression,” adds Lukas Kenner.
“Against the background of the ubiquity of plastics in the environment and the ongoing exposure of humans to even the smallest plastic particles, further studies are urgently needed, in particular to investigate long-term effects,” says Kenner. “It can be assumed that MNP causes chronic toxicity,” fears Pichler. Recent results as well as previous studies demonstrate high uptake and long retention in tissues and cells. The particles examined therefore fulfill two of the three characteristics in toxicology with which substances are classified as questionable under the EU Chemicals Regulation (“REACH”).
Publikation: Chemospheres
Microplastics Role in Cell Migration and Distribution During Cancer Cell Division;
Ekaterina Brynzak-Schreiber, Elisabeth Schögl, Carolin Bapp, Klaudia Cseh, Verena Kopatz, Michael A. Jakupec, Andreas Weber, Tobias Lange, José L. Toca-Herrera, Giorgia del Favero, Wolfgang Wadsak, Lukas Kenner*, Verena Pichler*
* Shared corresponding authors
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