The presence of microplastics in the human body is becoming a growing health concern.
A recent observation adds a new dimension to this phenomenon: these tiny particles appear to concentrate specifically in prostate cancer tumors. The quantities detected in malignant tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent healthy areas, suggesting their involvement in the progression of the disease.
Photo: Oregon State University
A pilot study conducted at NYU Langone Health medical center examined prostate tissue samples taken from ten patients. The analyses indicated that nine out of ten tumors harbored microplastics, compared to seven non-cancerous samples. More notably, the average concentration in malignant tissues was about 2.5 times higher than that measured in healthy areas. To achieve these results, the team employed precise techniques targeting twelve categories of widely used plastics.
To conduct this investigation, researchers implemented rigorous protocols to eliminate any risk of contamination. They therefore substituted plastic equipment with aluminum or cotton equivalents and performed the tests in specially prepared clean rooms. This approach aimed to ensure the robustness of the data, despite the ubiquity of plastic in laboratories.
These particles enter the body through multiple channels, such as ingestion of polluted food or water, inhalation of dust, or absorption through the skin. Previous work had already reported their presence in major organs and even the placenta. The new investigation provides tangible evidence regarding their distribution in the prostate, thus adding another piece to the puzzle of human exposure to synthetic pollutants.
Now, the team wishes to examine the mechanisms that could link microplastics to the emergence of cancer. One of the ideas put forward is that these fragments could induce a lasting immune response, or inflammation, within the prostate. In the long term, chronic inflammation is likely to damage cells and encourage genetic modifications leading to tumor formation. The next steps will involve conducting broader research to confirm these observations and elucidate the biological processes at play.
Although these results are preliminary and based on a limited number of cases, they highlight the interest of more extensive work to establish a clear link. These observations were presented at a symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.