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Microplastics as an emerging environmental pollutant potentially leading to neurodegenerative diseases
Summary
Researchers reviewed how microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the central nervous system, cataloguing the mechanistic pathways — oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, protein aggregation — through which they may contribute to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS, while proposing that environmental microplastic detection and removal technologies could be adapted for CNS applications.
Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, are ubiquitous in the environment. As an emerging environmental pollutant, MPs can infiltrate the human body through multiple pathways, including inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact and bloodborne transmission.Correspondingly, MPs, which can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter the central nervous system (CNS), have been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs).In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the environmental distribution of MPs, the pathways of entry into the human body, and the distribution within the CNS. Furthermore, we explore intrinsic factors influencing the neurotoxicity of MPs and elucidate the mechanisms underlying MPs-induced NDs, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Beyond mechanistic insights, we offer a novel perspective by exploring the potential adaptation of emerging environmental MPs detection and removal technologies for CNS applications. Ultimately, elucidating these mechanisms positions the reduction of MPs accumulation as a critical intervention point, highlighting the adaptation of environmental technologies as a promising strategy for the prevention and management of NDs.