A recent study in the International Journal of Surgery (2025) revealed that exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs) may increase the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) by inducing intestinal toxicity. Using multi-omics integration, machine learning, and molecular docking, researchers identified four key genes— CTSK, NAAA, PDE4B, and PFKFB3—as central to PET-MP –induced intestinal inflammation . Animal studies confirmed altered expression of these genes in UC models exposed to PET-MPs, supporting their pathogenic role.
The findings provide a mechanistic link between environmental microplastic exposure and gut inflammatory disorders , underscoring the growing public health implications of microplastic pollution. To read more ; Click here Could everyday exposure to microplastics be silently aggravating inflammatory bowel disease risk? ##Reference## Yang X, Yan B, Zhao…
