The gastrointestinal tract is already known to researchers as a major storage site for micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) in the human body. A research consortium has now investigated the effects of the tiny plastic particles on cancer cells in the human gastrointestinal tract. The study showed that MNPs remain in the cell for much longer than previously assumed, as they are passed on to the newly formed cell during cell division. The first indications were also discovered that the plastic particles could promote the metastasis of tumors.