Spotlight on:
Airborne Particulates and Brain Health

Airborne Particulates and Brain Health

Increasing evidence suggests a link between air pollution and brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Our research explores how airborne particles may impact the brain by affecting the blood brain barrier (BBB), through an interdisciplinary approach in collaboration with scientists at national facilities on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

Author: Chang Guo; UKHSA Research Profile

Exposed blood vessel cells (as a BBB model) to diesel exhaust particles at Octopus Central Laser Facility. Source: Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

Interdisciplinary investigation of particulate matter and the impact on the blood brain barrier (BBB)

Researchers from the UK Health Security Agency exposed blood vessel cells (as a BBB model) to diesel exhaust particles and imaged them using focussed ion beam and scanning electron microscopy combined with confocal microscopy at the Octopus Facility (part of the Central Laser Facility).

Analysis of three-dimensional ultrastructural images revealed interactions between particles and subcellular compartments, with nano-sized particles particularly associated with the plasma membrane. To further investigate the interactions between nano-sized particles and plasma membrane, neutron scattering experiments were performed at ISIS Neutron and Muon to identify the effects on cellular membrane dynamics.

The aim of this study was to gain deeper insights into how inhaled particulate matter interacts with and affects BBB function, with a specific focus on the impact to the plasma membrane.

Further Reading:

Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care. Authors: Livingston, Gill et al. The Lancet Volume 396, Issue 10248, 413-446 (2020).

Air Pollution: cognitive decline and dementia: A report by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP). Author: UKHSA (2022).

Neutrons help explain the relationship between air pollution and neurological disease. Authors: Harwell Science and Innovation (2024).

Interdisciplinary investigation of particulate matter and the impact on the blood brain barrier (BBB)

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Pathways of inhaled particulate matter impacting brain health.(Image Source: created with BioRender.com)

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