07. 01. 2025
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At the end of last year, a major international study was published in the prestigious journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia (open in a new window) (IF 13.1), which showed an increased susceptibility of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients to air pollution. Leading scientific institutions from Finland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and the Netherlands collaborated on the research. Among the 24 authors of the study are nine scientists from the Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology of the IEM CAS.
Air pollution is a major global problem with proven negative impacts on human health. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether people with AD are more susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution and to identify the biological changes that occur with this exposure.
The study combined laboratory experiments with an analysis of large-scale population data. Under laboratory conditions, scientists exposed the nasal mucosal cells of healthy individuals and AD patients to diesel engine emissions. The results of the analysis showed changes in gene and DNA activity, indicating increased sensitivity of the patient’s cells compared to those of the healthy population. These laboratory observations were subsequently validated and compared with data obtained from the large population-based Rotterdam study.
Main findings: Four times higher sensitivity
The results showed that the cells of AD patients were almost four times more sensitive to the emissions than the cells of healthy individuals. At the same time, specific changes at the DNA level associated with exposure to emissions were identified. The NRF2 protein played a key role in the defence mechanisms. It acts as the “master switch” of the antioxidant response in our body. It activates a number of genes that produce enzymes and proteins that neutralise free radicals and protect cells from oxidative stress.
AD patients often have impaired NRF2 activity. This means that their cells have a limited ability to respond to oxidative stress, which can lead to more rapid neuronal damage and disease progression. The research findings call for targeted measures to protect these vulnerable groups.
The substances and therapies targeting NRF2 activation are the subject of intensive research. In the future, they could play a key role not only in the treatment of AD but also in other neurodegenerative diseases and chronic inflammation.