Scientists watch in real time as microplastics block blood vessels in mouse brains
Advanced imaging reveals how plastic particles move through living brains, creating blockages that could impact human health.

Tiny plastic particles lodge in mouse brains and block blood vessels, scientists discovered using real-time imaging that revealed how these microplastics travel through the body.
In a study published in Science Advances and reported in Nature, researchers used advanced fluorescence imaging to watch microplastics move through living mouse brains. The particles, smaller than 5 millimeters, were consumed by immune cells that later became trapped in the brain's blood vessels, creating traffic jam-like blockages.