Is this discovery the key to elucidating the causes of Alzheimer’s disease? At the beginning of March, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) presented in the journal “Environment International” a new study on a possible link between Alzheimer’s disease and the pollutant magnetite. Magnetite is often associated with vehicle exhaust.
At present and despite all the research on this degenerative disease which causes memory loss and fatal cognitive decline, scientists still do not know precisely what causes Alzheimer’s disease.
The environment plays a key role
“Less than 1% of Alzheimer’s cases are hereditary,” explains Cindy Gunawan, a researcher at UTS. “This is why it is likely that environment and lifestyle play a key role in the development of the disease.” Previous studies have already shown that living in areas with high pollution can be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, it has been studied that magnetite was often found in large quantities in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the Environment International Journal.
With this knowledge, Cindy Gunawan and other scientists from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research began studying the Effects of air pollution on mouse brains and human neuronal cells.
The scientists exposed the mice to nanoparticles of magnetite, iron, and diesel hydrocarbons for a period of four months. They found that mice predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease showed more short-term memory loss and disorientation, typical symptoms of the disease.
Magnetite would promote the symptoms of the disease
Additionally, the researchers also found that both mice and human neuronal cells exhibited inflammation and oxidative stress effects when exposed to magnetite. Both of these factors contribute to dementia.
The scientists believe that their work on the effects of pollution on cognitive abilities is far from finished and want to continue their research on magnetite. Indeed, this industrial by-product can also be deposited in the form of nanoparticles in the brains of people who do not have Alzheimer’s disease.
According to researchers, the entry point for nanoparticles deposited in the brain is generally the nose. If the particles are smaller than 200 nanometers, they pass through the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from harmful substances. They then travel along the olfactory nerve to our thought organ. Particles are formed by heat during combustion processes and are found in large quantities in the catalysts of vehicles or in the chimneys of ships.
