Formation of metal-microplastic complexes in lung adenocarcinoma is associated with increased risk of cancer progression.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Observational case series and tissue profiling study in 15 patients
PubMed 40344833 · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.138517
What was done
Lung tissues from 15 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were analyzed to characterize metal-microplastic complexes (m-MPs). The multimodal approach utilized laser direct infrared imaging (LDIR), pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS), inductively coupled plasma analysis (ICP), and transcriptome sequencing to examine microplastic types, metal concentrations, pathway activation, and survival outcomes.
What was found
A total of 34 distinct microplastic types were identified in lung tissues, with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) predominating in tumor tissues. Tumor microplastic content showed significant positive correlations with levels of aluminum and calcium (p < 0.05). Accumulation of m-MPs was associated with the activation of pro-tumorigenic pathways and reduced survival, showing worse overall survival (HR = 1.59, p = 0.002) and disease-specific survival (HR = 1.64, p = 0.01). SYNE1 and RORA were identified as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
Why it matters
This work provides preliminary human tissue evidence linking metal-microplastic complex accumulation within lung tumors to oncogenic signaling and worse patient survival.
Limits
The study is limited by an extremely small sample size (n = 15), which limits the reliability and generalizability of the reported survival associations and hazard ratios. As an observational study, it demonstrates correlation rather than causation, and key potential confounders such as smoking status, occupational history, and clinical stage are not described in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Microplastic particles have been detected inside human lung cancer tumor tissue samples.