ReviewPlacenta2026
Polystyrene microplastics internalization by term placental chorionic villi explants.
Review in Placenta, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Assessing the mechanism of osteosarcoma induced by long-term PET exposure: prediction from combined network toxicology, machine learning and molecular docking.Journal of bone oncology · 2025Article
- Microplastics and child health: A scoping review of prenatal and early-life exposure routes and potential health risks.Toxicology reports · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionMicroplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants increasingly found within human tissues, including the placenta. This study explores the potential of polystyrene (PS)-MPs to cross the placental barrier and their general distribution within term placental chorionic villi explants.
methodsTerm placental chorionic villi explants were exposed up to 72 h to 100 μg/mL of 5 μm-size polystyrene (PS)-MPs, and their internalization was analyzed by optical microscopy, confocal atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) and fluorescence confocal imaging.
resultsThe PS-MPs can traverse the placental barrier. Over 72 h of exposure, these particles were not only adsorbed on the surface but also internalized within the syncytiotrophoblast and dispersed through the chorionic villi mesenchyme. Our observations indicate that PS-MPs are found up to 120 μm deep within the villi, suggesting their capability to penetrate deeply into placental tissue. Furthermore, these MPs were surrounded by a thin layer of actin, implying active internalization mechanisms possibly involving macropinocytosis or phagocytosis, although specific pathways in placental tissues remain to be fully elucidated. No evidence of barrier fissures or membrane ruptures was observed, indicating that the internalization process does not disrupt the syncytiotrophoblast barrier integrity. DISCUSSION: This study underscores the urgent need to understand the implications of such internalization and their effects on placental homeostasis. Given the potential for MPs to influence developmental processes adversely, further research is essential to delineate the mechanisms of MP internalization, possible physiological impacts, and the consequences of fetal exposure.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.