New research: 'Microplastics promote cancer metastasis'

A laboratory study shows that microplastics can persist during cell division and contribute to the spread of cancer when they are in tumors.

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNP) are present everywhere and can enter the body through the respiratory and digestive tracts.

Plastic trash is everywhere - (Photo: Geographical)

Previous studies have shown that small MNP particles (less than 10 micrometers in size) found in plastic bottles have better penetration ability . Studies on cells in the laboratory and on mice also show that these particles can penetrate the cell membrane, accumulate inside the cell and affect the cell, but the mechanism is that MNP accumulates in the cell. is still not clearly understood.

However, new research published in the journal Chemosphere shows that  MNP can pass from cell to cell through cell division.

The team exposed different colorectal cancer cells to different sizes of MNP particles in laboratory dishes. Study co-author Verena Pichler from the University of Vienna (Austria) said they focused on colorectal cancer cells because the incidence of this disease is increasing.

The group also focused on the most common plastic, polystyrene . They labeled plastic molecules with fluorescence and tracked them.

They found that particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers (the largest microplastic particle in the test) were unable to enter cells, while smaller particles were able to enter and accumulate inside cells.

The team also found that microplastics can exist in cancer cells that have undergone cell division, as well as that cells containing MNP are more mobile than cells that do not contain MNP.

The ability of cancer cells to move will help them spread to other organs in the body, also known as metastasis. Therefore, MNP can promote cancer metastasis.

"Worrying" discovery

The above research still has some limitations because the research team studied cancer cells grown in laboratory dishes, not in living organisms in the natural environment, and the microplastics in the experiment were also different from microplastics. in the external environment.

However, according to scientist Nicholas Zyg Chartres working at the University of California (USA) and the University of Sydney (Australia) and not related to the above research, the above findings are still " very worrying".

"This is an early warning sign for us to take action ," Mr. Chartres told LiveScience on March 22.

The research team said they will continue experiments on types of microplastics that are closer to those found in the natural environment.