{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T23:42:19Z","timestamp":1791589339687,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,22]],"date-time":"2024-09-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1726963200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"PRIN 2022","award":["KCP7YP"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KCP7YP"]}]},{"name":"PRIN 2022","award":["RM123188F1F65F5C"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RM123188F1F65F5C"]}]},{"name":"Ateneo 2023","award":["KCP7YP"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KCP7YP"]}]},{"name":"Ateneo 2023","award":["RM123188F1F65F5C"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RM123188F1F65F5C"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Micro\/nanoplastics (MNPs), which are widely spread in the environment, have gained attention because of their ability to enter the human body mainly through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, thus representing a serious health threat. Several studies have reported the presence of MNPs in lung tissue and the potential role of MNP inhalation in triggering lung fibrosis and tumorigenesis. However, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding the cellular response to MNPs composed of polyethylene (PE), one of the most common plastic pollutants in the biosphere. In this study, we investigated the effects of low\/high concentrations of PE MNPs on respiratory epithelial cell viability and migration\/invasion abilities, using MTT, scratch, and transwell assays. Morphological and molecular changes were assessed via immunofluorescence, Western blot, and qRT-PCR. We demonstrated that acute exposure to PE MNPs does not induce cellular toxicity. Instead, cells displayed visible morphological changes also involving actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Our data underlined the role of epithelial\u2013mesenchymal transition (EMT) in triggering this process. Moreover, a remarkable increase in migration potential was noticed, in absence of a significant alteration of the cell\u2019s invasive capacity. The present study highlights the potential impact of PE MNPs inhalation on the human respiratory epithelium, suggesting a possible role in carcinogenesis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms251810168","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,23]],"date-time":"2024-09-23T03:36:38Z","timestamp":1727062598000},"page":"10168","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":46,"title":["Polyethylene Micro\/Nanoplastics Exposure Induces Epithelial\u2013Mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial and Alveolar Epithelial Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6138-6179","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alice","family":"Traversa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emanuela","family":"Mari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2392-3775","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paola","family":"Pontecorvi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9229-5103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Gerini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9514-6472","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enrico","family":"Romano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3705-3248","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Megiorni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6797-9343","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amedeo","family":"Amedei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9280-8917","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cinzia","family":"Marchese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danilo","family":"Ranieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8789-7719","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona","family":"Ceccarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1977","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2008.0304","article-title":"Applications and societal benefits of plastics","volume":"364","author":"Andrady","year":"2009","journal-title":"Philos. 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