2025. EVALUATION OF TRANS-EPITHELIAL PENETRATION AND MICROPLASTIC-INDUCED TISSUE DAMAGE IN A 3D MODEL OF HUMAN RESPIRATORY MUCOSA: Adelaide CARISTA1, Domiziana PICONE1, Giulia Maria Giorgia LO PIANO1, Olga Maria MANNA2,3, Stefano BURGIO3,4, Giuseppa D’AMICO1, Margherita FERRANTE5, Gea OLIVERI CONTE5, Francesca RAPPA1, Rosario BARONE1, Fabio BUCCHIERI1, Alessandro PITRUZZELLA1, Alberto FUCARINO6 | 1Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 2Pathologic Anatomy Unit, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 3Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), Palermo, Italy; 4Department of Medicine and Surgery, Kore University of Enna, Enna, Italy; 5Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", Università degli Studi di Catania, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica; 6Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy. Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale. 98, s2 (Oct. 2025). DOI:https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2025.14562.