journal article·2025-12Open access

Synergistic Promotion of Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis and Metastasis by Oral Polystyrene Nanoplastics Exposure via Alloprevotella ‐Derived Glutamate and Platelet Activation

Leilei Zhu, Peihao Xu, Mingyuan Zhou, Kewei Li, Shasha Tian, Xuemei Fan, Junling Liu, Baodong Ye, Zhishan Ding, Yingzhi Shen

Advanced Science· Volume 12· Issue 46

Abstract

Abstract Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging environmental pollutants with potential health risks, yet their role in cancer progression remains poorly understood. Here, this is demonstrated that oral exposure to 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS‐NPs) accelerates tumor initiation and metastasis in a murine triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) model, without affecting primary tumor growth. PS‐NPs do not directly alter TNBC cell behavior in vitro but induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by Alloprevotella enrichment and elevated systemic glutamate levels, both identified as key mediators of PS‐NPs‐driven tumor promotion. Moreover, PS‐NPs enhanced platelet activation, evidenced by increased aggregation, microthrombus formation at metastatic sites, and upregulation of CD36 and Serpine1. Collectively, these findings uncover a synergistic mechanism whereby oral PS‐NPs promote TNBC progression via a gut microbiota‐derived metabolite‐platelet axis, establishing an unrecognized link between environmental nanoplastic exposure and cancer progression, and highlighting potential therapeutic targets for intervention.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Mesenchymal stem cell research · Epigenetics and DNA Methylation · Cancer Cells and Metastasis

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine) Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Hangzhou Zhejiang 310053 China

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Hangzhou Zhejiang 310053 China

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200025 China

Department of Hematology The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine) Hangzhou Zhejiang 310053 China

Funding

Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

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