A recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med. 2024;390(10):900-910), has drawn attention to the presence of plastic particles within human atherosclerotic plaques. Involving 257 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy, the study revealed a notable association between the presence of plastic-containing plaques in the carotid artery and an elevated risk of adverse cardiovascular events or mortality over a 3-year period. Following plaque removal, investigators conducted a comprehensive evaluation of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride content by mass spectrometry. Remarkably, polyethylene, the globally most prevalent plastic, was identified in 58 % of the patient samples, while polyvinyl chloride was present in 12 % of atherosclerotic plaques. Electron microscopy examination of the plaques revealed plastic particles as jagged-edged foreign particles within foam cells in plaques that derived from macrophages. 

Prof. Maegdefessel at TUM and Prof. Mayr  at Imperial will join forces to elucidate the potential implications of plastic particles on cardiovascular health. Together, they have access to one of the largest collections of carotid endarterectomies with longitudinal follow-up up periods of 5-10 years and complementary expertise in electron microscopy, mass spectrometry and -omics analysis. The main goals of this joint project are twofold:

1. Outcomes: Conduct research to uncover how micro- and nanoplastics might play a role in causing cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes, specifically by looking into how they trigger inflammation within artery plaques.
2. Mechanisms: To use RNAseq and proteomics to identify the remodelling processes triggered by plastic particles and understand how they worsen the instability of artery plaques, aiming to establish a direct link between exposure to plastics and occurrences of cardiovascular events. 

To shape policies, more comprehensive studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the hazards presented by exposures to micro- and nanoplastics.