Interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori modulates gastric cancer cellular functions and metastasis.

Polystyrene nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori together enhance gastric cancer metastasis and disrupt cellular functions, with effects varying between in vitro and in vivo conditions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how environmental pollutants like nanoplastics interact with pathogens such as H. pylori is crucial for assessing their combined impact on gastric cancer progression and health risks.
• What they did: The study co-cultured PS-NPs and H. pylori with gastric cancer cells and used a mouse model to examine effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and metastasis, including SEM analysis and internalization assays.
• The result: Findings show PS-NPs associate with H. pylori and modulate carcinogenic processes, promoting metastasis and hepatic damage in vivo, highlighting the importance of combined environmental and microbial factors in gastric cancer.