Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Polystyrene Nanoplastic Exposure Promotes Amyloid Misfolding and Metabolic Impairment at Sub-Lethal Doses. A Subcellular Infrared Imaging Study

Augusto Silva, Iran LU orcid ; Paulus, Agnes LU ; Skoryk, Valeriia LU ; Kar Yan, Su LU ; Herranz-Trillo, Fátima LU and KLEMENTIEVA, Oxana LU orcid (2026) In Environmental Science: Nano 13(4). p.1948-1961
Abstract
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with increasing implications for human health. While their presence in human tissues is established, the molecular mechanisms driving their potential neurotoxicity remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene (PS) on amyloid protein misfolding and cellular metabolism using Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, a label-free, sub-diffraction imaging technique. Our results reveal that PS exposure promotes pathological protein misfolding, specifically decreasing β-sheet-rich conformations, and disrupts metabolic homeostasis at sub-lethal doses. These suggest that the nanoplastic surface acts as a catalytic scaffold for amyloid... (More)
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with increasing implications for human health. While their presence in human tissues is established, the molecular mechanisms driving their potential neurotoxicity remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene (PS) on amyloid protein misfolding and cellular metabolism using Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, a label-free, sub-diffraction imaging technique. Our results reveal that PS exposure promotes pathological protein misfolding, specifically decreasing β-sheet-rich conformations, and disrupts metabolic homeostasis at sub-lethal doses. These suggest that the nanoplastic surface acts as a catalytic scaffold for amyloid aggregation, driving cellular dysfunction prior to acute toxicity. This identifies a plausible molecular pathway by which environmental MNP pollution contributes to the risk and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the need for risk assessments that look beyond simple cell survival. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Science: Nano
volume
13
issue
4
pages
1948 - 1961
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • scopus:105033825413
ISSN
2051-8153
DOI
10.1039/D5EN01181G
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d5e7c491-f9b1-43c1-8d87-bfa78bb07863
date added to LUP
2026-03-10 21:58:28
date last changed
2026-05-13 08:17:19
@article{d5e7c491-f9b1-43c1-8d87-bfa78bb07863,
  abstract     = {{Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with increasing implications for human health. While their presence in human tissues is established, the molecular mechanisms driving their potential neurotoxicity remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene (PS) on amyloid protein misfolding and cellular metabolism using Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, a label-free, sub-diffraction imaging technique. Our results reveal that PS exposure promotes pathological protein misfolding, specifically decreasing β-sheet-rich conformations, and disrupts metabolic homeostasis at sub-lethal doses. These suggest that the nanoplastic surface acts as a catalytic scaffold for amyloid aggregation, driving cellular dysfunction prior to acute toxicity. This identifies a plausible molecular pathway by which environmental MNP pollution contributes to the risk and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the need for risk assessments that look beyond simple cell survival.}},
  author       = {{Augusto Silva, Iran and Paulus, Agnes and Skoryk, Valeriia and Kar Yan, Su and Herranz-Trillo, Fátima and KLEMENTIEVA, Oxana}},
  issn         = {{2051-8153}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1948--1961}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Environmental Science: Nano}},
  title        = {{Polystyrene Nanoplastic Exposure Promotes Amyloid Misfolding and Metabolic Impairment at Sub-Lethal Doses. A Subcellular Infrared Imaging Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D5EN01181G}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/D5EN01181G}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}