How does air pollution influence Alzheimer’s risk?

Downtown Los Angeles with misty morning smoggy fog (Photo courtesy of iStock)

Higher exposure to air pollution is strongly associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, especially for people with certain genetic risk factors for the disease. Exactly how pollution interacts with these genes to increase dementia risk is still unknown, but clues may be found in how stem cells within the brain undergo aging, according to USC researchers.

University Professor Caleb Finch is the principal investigator on a new project investigating how neural stem cells in mice age in regard to both air pollution exposure and mutations in the gene for amyloid precursor protein (APP). Michael Bonaguidi, assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, gerontology and biomedical engineering, is co-PI on the project. The new study is supported by a $500,000, two-year grant from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.