United Kingdom: A new study has found a link between nanoplastics in the brain and a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease.
Tiny plastic particles have now been connected to alterations in brain proteins linked to specific forms of dementia, including Parkinson’s disease. Plastics have a concerning impact on our environment and may even harm our health.
Researchers from Duke University in the United States led a team that studied the interaction between the protein alpha-synuclein and nanoplastics derived from polystyrene.
Parkinson’s patients’ brains have previously been shown to accumulate aberrant forms of this protein.
“Parkinson’s disease has been called the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world,” said neurobiologist and senior author Mr. Andrew West from Duke University.
“Numerous lines of data suggest environmental factors might play a prominent role in Parkinson’s disease, but such factors have, for the most part, not been identified,” Mr. West added.
In three types of experiments using solutions, cultured cells, and genetically modified mice prone to a condition akin to Parkinson’s, plastics were found to attract abnormally large clusters of alpha-synuclein.
The strong chemical bonds that developed between polystyrene nanoparticles and the alpha-synuclein protein were particularly intriguing. These bonds were particularly evident in cell lysosomes, which are responsible for disposing of waste.
There is evidence here that plastic disrupts neurons’ normal cleaning cycle, which is another clue that links Parkinson’s and related diseases.
“While microplastic and nanoplastic contaminants are being closely evaluated for their potential impact in cancer and autoimmune diseases,” Mr. West noted.
“The striking nature of the interactions we could observe in our models suggest a need for evaluating increasing nanoplastic contaminants on Parkinson’s disease and dementia risk and progression,” Mr. West remarked.
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