Human pluripotent stem cells – Unique tools to decipher the effects of environmental and intracellular plastic pollution on human health

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 269; p. 116144
• Main Authors: Stojkovic, Miodrag, Stojkovic, Petra, Stankovic, Konstantina M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-01-2021
• Subjects: Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Genotoxicity; Human embryos; Human induced pluripotent stem cells; Humans; Nanoplastics; Plastics; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Pollution; Polystyrene; Human induced pluripotent stem cells; Human embryos; Pollution; Polystyrene; Genotoxicity; Nanoplastics
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116144

Increase in plastic pollution causes irreparable harm to the environment lasting for decades. While current data of plastic pollution include marine and terrestrial ecology, the impacts of degraded or intentionally produced microscopic-sized plastics on human health remain unknown. Here, we are proposing the usage of pluripotent stem cells, modern transcriptomics, and bioinformatics as a unique scientific tool to define the link between environmental and intracellular pollution, its outcome on early human development and origin of diseases. This commentary is an urgent appeal to the scientific and policy communities to invest more time and resources to establish reliable standards and methods to define and address the consequences of plastic pollution on human health.