
ABSTRACT The ubiquity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in our environment raises substantial concerns about their potential impact on human health. Recent studies have shown that PS-NPs cross the blood-brain-barrier and accumulate in the central nervous system (CNS), raising the concerns on the causal role of PS-NP exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we utilized human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons to examine the effects of PS-NPs on neuronal function and health. Our results revealed that PS-NPs penetrate neuronal cells in a size-dependent manner, and are bound by various cellular proteins, including TDP43, a key protein implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Interestingly, CK1 and GSK3β kinases that are known to phosphorylate TDP-43 were found to be associated with PS-NPs. This observation suggests that PS-NPs may play a role in facilitating conditions that lead to TDP43 phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that exposure to healthy motor neurons with PS-NPs resulted in ALS-like phenotypes, characterized by hyperphosphorylated TDP-43, disrupted neuronal morphology, impaired mitochondrial respiration, and accelerated motor neuron death. These findings suggest that PS-NPs contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and highlight the urgent need for strategies to limit human exposure to nanoplastics.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 5 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
