SynthesisFrontiers in public health2025
Invisible invaders: unveiling the carcinogenic threat of microplastics and nanoplastics in colorectal cancer-a systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Molecular and Cellular Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular, Nervous, Urinary, Digestive, and Reproductive System Diseases: A Global Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Exposure to TBBPA and polystyrene nanoplastics induces cardiac fibrosis via the activation of the ESR/H19/Wnt pathway.Redox biology · 2026Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Exposome: Environmental Pathways, Kidney Toxicity, and Implications for Public Health Risk Assessment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Distance to Care, Regional Context, and Survival in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer.Journal of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Human Diet: Sources of Exposure, Bioavailability, Toxicokinetics, and Systemic Health Effects.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Inhaled Micro- and Nanoplastics as Environmental Modifiers of Lung Carcinogenesis: Mechanistic Insights and Evidence Synthesis.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Micro- and nanoplastic exposure and cancer: current evidence, mechanistic pathways, and translational challenges.Translational cancer research · 2026Review
- Effect of Biodegradable PLA-Based and Conventional LDPE Mulch Films on Pathogenic and Functional Soil Microbial Communities.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Reduction in Circulating Microplastics in Humans Following Gastrointestinal Sequestration by Chitosan: A Pilot Controlled Study.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Article
- Emerging evidence on micro- and nanoplastics carcinogenicity: mechanisms, models, and signaling networks.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Micro- and Nanoplastics Exposure Across the Lifespan: One Health Implications for Aging and Longevity.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Review
- Microplastics and nanoplastics as potential ecological oncogenic co-drivers: rewiring host-microbe interactions in cancer.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Review
- Microplastics and nano-plastics as emerging gut-brain axis disruptors: mechanistic insights, health implications, and future direction.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Review
- Plastic Pollution and Child Health: A Narrative Review of Micro- and Nanoplastics, Additives, and Developmental Risks.Journal of clinical medicine · 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
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Microplastics (MPs, 0.1-5000 μm) and nanoplastics (NPs, 0.001-0.1 μm) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with strong persistence and bioaccumulation, posing significant threats to human health. Given their ability to penetrate biological barriers, accumulate in the food chain, and infiltrate human gastrointestinal tissues, humans ingest and inhale over 70,000 microplastic particles annually, and the observed higher abundance of MPs/NPs in colorectal tumor tissues in epidemiological data, this systematic review aims to explore the link between MPs/NPs exposure and colorectal cancer (CRC) carcinogenesis. Methods: This study synthesizes 20 years of relevant research to systematically analyze the association between MPs/NPs exposure and CRC development. Results: Key findings reveal that MPs/NPs enter the body via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, translocating across biological barriers to induce DNA damage and oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species overproduction. They disrupt intestinal barrier function by reducing tight junction proteins, trigger chronic inflammation via pro-inflammatory cytokines, and cause gut microbiota dysbiosis. Additionally, MPs/NPs act as "Trojan horses", adsorbing toxicants (e.g., bisphenol A) and pathogens, which exacerbate cytotoxicity and activate carcinogenic pathways. Conclusion: This review highlights the potential carcinogenic risk of MPs/NPs in CRC, deepens understanding of their mechanistic roles in carcinogenesis, and provides insights for the scientific management of MPs/NPs pollution.
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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.