The presence of microplastics in our food, soil, and bodies has quickly become a global-level crisis. Unfortunately, at this point, we do not know how they will affect the human body. This issue has inspired eighth grader Anushka Sable to investigate how these plastics will affect human blood immune cells and our health.
In 2022, scientists in the Netherlands discovered that microplastics are present in the blood of 77% of the people tested. This discovery caught the world’s attention as it highlighted the frightening consequences of plastic pollution. However, Sable wanted to know more about how this affects the human immune system. She hypothesized that exposure to plastic particles to human white blood cells would cause their uptick, activation, cell aggregation, adhesion, and inflammation, which would lead to tumor-like structures. Then, she got to work on a science fair project that would take her all the way to Washington, DC.
The Journey
Out of the 350 million tons of plastic waste pollution generated every year, three types are commonly found in human blood samples. They are polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene, with polystyrene being the most common. Currently, the full impact of their presence is unknown.
After receiving approval from the local science fair, the school review committee, and the institutional review board, Sable was able to use a research laboratory at Emory University under the guidance of her mentor. Once there, she started working to test her hypothesis. By exposing microplastics to human immune cells, she observed that a cell type called monocytes was taking up a bit of the plastic itself. Her next step was to develop a 3D cell culture called a plasticome to study further the microplastic’s potential to cause cancer. Her continued observations would find tumor-like structures, proving her hypothesis correct.
Sable’s work on this project was able to earn her a spot as one of the 30 finalists at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
The success of Sable’s project might be the bad news we all knew was coming; however, it also gives us much hope for the future. The plastic particles in our bodies are made up of harmful chemicals; however, the 3D cell culture she developed could be used to study these effects and discover treatments. She provided evidence for the dangers of microplastic exposure which should help lead the way for future research.
Sable believes “The 3D bio-platform I developed in the microplate could be used to screen monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, chemical compounds, and biologics to prevent and treat microplastic-induced cell adhesion and neoplasms or plaque-like structure formation.”
Going a step further, her platform could be used to study other substances like asbestosis and silicosis and reduce the use of animals in microplastic research.
The Future
When asked what she plans to do with her research in the future, Sable replied, “I am advancing my 3D cell culture platform by adding several other components such as endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and the extracellular matrix in addition to the human blood monocytes and fluorescent microplastic particles.”
She hopes that the addition of these other cell types will reveal larger tumor-like structures and give her more data to work with. From there, she hopes to screen therapeutics to try to prevent or treat microplastic-induced cellular disorders. Let’s wish her luck.
