Funding secured for environmental toxins project in Parkinson’s
Grants awarded to researcher by MJFF, Shake It Up Australia Foundation
A researcher at the University of Wollongong in Australia has received funding of nearly 400,000 Australian dollars (about $250,000) to investigate the links between environmental toxins, such as pesticides and nanoplastics, and Parkinson’s disease.
The funding, from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Shake It Up Australia Foundation, was granted to Lezanne Ooi, PhD, for her project “Phenotyping Environmental Exposure to Long-lasting Chemicals, Nanoplastics and Pesticides in iPSC Dopaminergic Neurons and Glia.”
Ooi’s project will seek to determine how exposure to a range of different environmental toxins — from industry to the household — may influence the onset and development of Parkinson’s.
“There are many culprits that contribute to the development of neurological conditions, and it can be incredibly difficult to isolate any one culprit,” Ooi said in a university news story. “Many of the toxins we will investigate are found in the environment, they are part of our daily lives, so it is vital that we understand if, and how, these impact our long-term health.”
Vicki Miller, CEO of the Shake It Up Australia Foundation, said Ooi’s research “has the potential to provide critical insights into potential preventative measures and treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.”
Added Miller: “By understanding the environmental factors that contribute to the disease, we can work [toward] developing strategies to mitigate their impact.”
Investigating environmental toxins such as nanoplastics and pesticides
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the progressive dysfunction and death of dopaminergic neurons, or nerve cells that produce dopamine, a signaling molecule involved in motor control. Glial cells, which play important roles in protecting neurons and regulating their function, are also affected.
While what exactly triggers nerve cell loss is not fully known, several environmental factors, including exposure to air pollutants or pesticides, are believed to increase a person’s risk for the disease. However, the direct impact such toxins have on brain cells has not been fully understood.
As part of their research, Ooi’s team will use induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. These cells are created by reprogramming fully mature cells, such as skin or blood cells, back into a stem cell-like state. The iPSCs, which will be derived from Parkinson’s patients and healthy people, can then be directed to become dopaminergic neurons or glial cells through specific chemical or biological signals.
In this project, iPSCs derived from neurons and glial cells will be exposed to different toxins, from chemicals used at home to those in industrial settings. These include pesticides, long-lived chemicals, and nanoplastics — tiny plastic particles roughly 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
The team will then use advanced techniques to analyze hundreds of molecules from individual cells, and apply computational analysis methods to identify differences between cells exposed to different environmental risk factors.
“By exposing brain cells to these substances, we can [analyze] the resulting changes in cellular chemistry and identify ‘metabolic signatures’ – unique molecular patterns that indicate damage related to Parkinson’s,” Ooi said. “This approach allows us to directly observe how these toxins affect the brain cells involved in Parkinson’s disease.”
The work of exploring what causes diseases is long and painstaking, but the findings have a tangible impact on the lives of others. This study will play a critical role in advancing our understanding of Parkinson’s disease.
The study is expected to identify critical changes within neurons induced by toxins, and how these changes are affected by other brain cell types. It also may help identify common biomarkers of the response to environmental risk factors.
Overall, the findings may ultimately be used to inform regulatory guidelines to reduce environmental risks and protect against Parkinson’s.
Paul Di Pietro, PhD, interim deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president of research and sustainable futures, highlighted the project’s “remarkable research capacity.”
“The work of exploring what causes diseases is long and painstaking, but the findings have a tangible impact on the lives of others. This study will play a critical role in advancing our understanding of Parkinson’s disease,” Di Pietro said.
About the Author
