It has been proven that microplastics in the bodies of pregnant women can be transmitted to infants and young children, potentially weakening their immune function.
The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology announced on October 23 that the research team led by Dr. Dayong Lee at the Bio-Pharmaceutical Translational Research Center has, for the first time in the world, identified these findings.
Research team members led by Dr. Dayong Lee. Provided by Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology
The key point is that polyethylene (PE) microplastics ingested by mothers are transmitted to infants through breastfeeding, which can disrupt the immune system and increase vulnerability to viral infections.
Through experiments, the research team confirmed that when pregnant mice ingested polyethylene microplastics commonly found in daily life, these foreign substances were transferred to their offspring via breast milk and accumulated in large amounts in the spleen.
The spleen is an organ that regulates immune cells in the body. When the balance of the spleen is disrupted, susceptibility to infectious diseases increases. In fact, offspring mice exposed to microplastics through their mothers showed a clear immune imbalance, with decreased numbers of T cells and NK cells, which are responsible for immunity, and an abnormal increase in B cells, which cause inflammation.
Furthermore, after microplastics accumulated in the spleens of the offspring through breast milk, the imbalance in immune cell distribution and the reduced secretion of antiviral immune substances (interferons and inflammatory cytokines) persisted throughout their growth period.
This demonstrates that the effect is not a temporary response to short-term exposure, but rather that it disrupts the overall process of immune development, thereby weakening resistance to infections.
Notably, when mice with microplastics accumulated in their spleens were infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, they experienced a rapid decrease in body weight after infection and a significant reduction in the secretion of antiviral immune substances compared to the control group, indicating a diminished ability to suppress the virus.
Based on these findings, the research team emphasized that microplastics do not simply remain in the body but can become a harmful factor by disrupting the immune system and increasing vulnerability to infectious diseases.
Dr. Lee stated, "This study is the first scientific evidence that microplastics can disrupt the immune system across generations," adding, "There is a need for social efforts to reduce the use of plastics and minimize exposure to microplastics in daily life, such as in food and water."
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