Since the birth of industrialization, societies have wrestled with the effects of pollution. Whether it contaminates the air, water, or soil, it can negatively impact human health, and scientists are still trying to understand the full extent of this.
Recently, researchers have wondered whether pollution could play a role in Parkinson’s disease. Right now, experts suspect the condition isn’t purely caused by environmental or genetic factors, but rather, a complex mix of how those factors interact. If scientists can find a clearer understanding, they could better asses which people are at risk of developing the condition, and develop better treatments.
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder in the central nervous system, which progressively affects movement. In early stages, a patient might only experience mild tremors on one side of the body, but in more advanced Parkinson’s, a patient might not be able to walk or live independently, and may experience worsening neurological symptoms. There is currently no cure. To learn more about Parkinson’s disease, click here.
The Department of Defense clearly caught wind of the increasing interest in environmental factors of Parkinson’s. They recently granted a team of researchers from various institutions a $4.37 million to study how pollutants in the air affect Parkinson’s disease.
The 4.37 million dollar grant is actually divided into rough thirds. $1.4 million goes to a study let by Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D. The remaining funds will be split between Caleb Finch, Ph.D. and Todd Morgan, Ph.D. from USC, and Honglei Chen, M.D., Ph.D., from Michigan State University’s medical school. They’ve studied Parkinson’s from different angles. Morgan and Finch have examined how air particles can lead to inflammation in the nose, which can potentially spread to the brain. Chen went another route, studying the disease at a zoomed-out population level.
The scientists are gearing up to start the study, which will take four years. They’ll collaborate to learn about whether people who are exposed to airborne pollution for a long time are more vulnerable to Parkinson’s when they’re older.
There’s already some interesting evidence which suggests that, while we think of Parkinson’s as a disease of the brain, it may actually start in the nose. Since the nose leads straight to the olfactory region in the brain, so that we can quickly process smells, nasal inflammation also has a direct route, which lets it spread to the brain. In fact, 9/10 Parkinson’s patients lose some or all of their sense of smell before they’re even diagnosed.
Not everyone is equally likely to experience this. Young people, females, and people who naturally have a low genetic risk can fight off these inflammations better, and keep it from leaving the nose.
After the scientists explore risk factors, they also want to study whether or not anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen, could delay Parkinson’s development. Chen’s 2005 study suggested that it might, and Brundin discovered similar findings in 2016.
The team is excited to join their specialized skill sets to work together for a cure.
To read more about this in Gears of Biz, click here.
