Emerging link between nanoplastics and neurodegenerative diseases, scientists find
Key takeaways
- US researchers found that certain types of nanoplastics, such as PE and PS, can interact with the protein a-synuclein, which is linked to neurodegenerative disease.
- Researchers suggest that nanoplastics may promote neuroinflammation and impair cognition.
- The researchers call for urgent studies to understand how nanoplastics enter the brain and identify the most dangerous polymer types.
Researchers from Duke University, US, have identified emerging evidence linking nanoplastics to pathways implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and dementia.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, reveals that certain types of nanoplastics, such as PE and PS, can strongly interact with a protein called α-synuclein. This interaction causes conformational changes to those associated with propagative pathology in brain diseases relating to emotion, thinking, and social abilities.
“Early evidence links higher tissue nanoplastic burdens with both cardiovascular and neurological disease, and early experimental models suggest these particles may promote neuroinflammation, impair cognition, and catalyze α-synuclein fibrillization through lipid-like colloidal interactions,” say the researchers.
“Urgent research is needed to clarify how nanoplastics enter the brain, which polymer types pose the greatest risk, and whether they contribute causally to common neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia.”
According to the paper, certain types of nanoplastic particles, which are similar to the ones that have been found in the human brain, might interact with aggregation-prone proteins associated with cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases.
These interactions can catalyze the proteins’ conversion toward pathological conformations.
Last year, US scientists raised the “alarm” about the “global threat” of microplastics to human brain health, encouraging consumers to shift away from plastic packaging and products.
Recently, researchers from Griffith University, Australia, found that the temperature of beverages and the material type of takeaway coffee cups can drastically impact microplastic release. Researchers in Spain also provided insights into how tea bags contribute to daily human ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics.
