UK Scientists Launch Study to Investigate Air Pollution's Role in Dementia

British scientists are launching a study to uncover how air pollution triggers dementia. The research, funded by Race Against Dementia, aims to understand the exact mechanisms by which tiny polluting particles, known as PM2.5s, affect the brain.

PM2.5s are minuscule fragments less than 2.5 millionths of a metre in diameter, produced by car exhausts, factories, and other sources. These particles can penetrate deep into the body, including the brain, through the olfactory bulb.

The study, titled Rapid, will explore three potential mechanisms:

1. PM2.5s directly accelerate protein clumping, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
2. The particles interfere with the brain’s ability to clear clumping proteins.
3. PM2.5s trigger inflammation in brain immune cells, called microglia, leading to dementia.

The research will use human stem cells and animal models to identify which mechanism is at play. Understanding these processes could lead to new drugs that mitigate the impact of air pollution on brain diseases.