PlasticsFatE Researchers at FAU Win Prestigious Award for Ground-breaking Study on Microplastics' Impact on Human Cells

PlasticsFatE researchers from the Institute of Anatomy at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have been honoured with the Quarterly Publication Award (QPA) II/2024 of the Anatomische Gesellschaft.

Maike Hierhammer (née Adler) and Dr. Katharina Jüngert (corresponding author) from the Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy and their co-authors received the award for their paper Effect of micro- and nanoplastic particles on human macrophages published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

The study investigates the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) on human macrophages. It examines the uptake of MNPs by macrophages derived from both a cell line (THP-1) and primary human cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs). The researchers used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and live cell imaging to visualize MNP uptake. They also assessed the impact of MNP exposure on macrophage metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, polarization, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The study highlights the concentration-dependent uptake of MNPs and their ability to induce cytotoxicity and increase nitric oxide production in macrophages. The results emphasize the importance of further research to understand the potential health risks associated with plastic pollution in humans.

Tune in to the article podcast here.

This was one of two accolades awarded to FAU researchers, whereby Sophie Gleixner from the Institute of Microscopic Anatomy and Molecular Cell Biology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg as well as PD Dr. Philipp Arnold and Prof. Dr. Friedrich Paulsen (corresponding last authors) from the Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and their co-authors were honoured for the paper published in Cells: A New Immortalized Human Lacrimal Gland Cell Line.

Details:

Effect of micro- and nanoplastic particles on human macrophages

Maike Y Adler, Insaf Issoual, Michael Rückert, Lisa Deloch, Carola Meier, Thomas Tschernig, Christoph Alexiou, Felix Pfister, Anja Frm Ramsperger, Christian Laforsch, Udo S Gaipl, Katharina Jüngert, Friedrich Paulsen J Hazard Mater. 2024 Jun 5:471:134253.doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134253. Epub 2024 Apr 11.

A New Immortalized Human Lacrimal Gland Cell Line.

Gleixner S, Zahn I, Dietrich J, Singh S, Drobny A, Schneider Y, Schwendner R, Socher E, Blavet N, Bräuer L, Gostian AO, Balk M, Schulze-Tanzil G, Günther C, Paulsen F, Arnold P. Cells. 2024 Apr 3;13(7):622. doi: 10.3390/cells13070622.