2024-04-03 10:33:00
Some commonly used products are bad for the brain, here’s why
Chemical substances, present in a wide range of commonly used household objectsfrom furniture to hair products, are a potential risk to human health, favoring the development of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and autism spectrum disorders. The alarm was raised by a study conducted by a group of researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, published in Nature Neuroscience.
The findings provided new information about the potential dangers of some common household chemicals to human brain health. Neurological problems affect millions of people, but only a fraction of cases can be attributed to genetics alone, indicating that unknown environmental factors are important for neurological diseases.
The new study found that some common household chemicals specifically target the brain’s oligodendrocytes, a specialized cell type that generates protective insulation around nerve cells. “Loss of oligodendrocytes underlies multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases,” said Paul Tesar, the Dr. Donald and Ruth Weber Goodman Professor of Innovative Therapeutics, director of the School of Medicine’s Glial Sciences Institute and principal investigator of the study -. We now demonstrate that specific chemicals in consumer products can directly damage oligodendrocytes, representing a previously unrecognized risk factor for neurological diseases.”
Assuming that not enough research has been done on the impact of chemicals on brain health, researchers analyzed more than 1,800 chemicals that humans may be exposed to.. Then, the research team identified chemicals that selectively damaged the oligodendrocytes, belonging to two classes: organophosphate flame retardants and quaternary ammonium compounds. Because quaternary ammonium compounds are present in many personal care products and disinfectants, which are used more frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic began, humans are regularly exposed to these chemicals. Additionally, many electronic and furniture products contain organophosphate flame retardants. The researchers used cell and organoid systems in the laboratory to demonstrate that quaternary ammonium compounds cause oligodendrocyte death, while organophosphate flame retardants prevent oligodendrocyte maturation. The researchers demonstrated how the same chemicals damage oligodendrocytes in the developing brains of mice. Scientists have also linked exposure to one of the chemicals to neurological deficits in children, on a nationwide scale.
“We found that oligodendrocytes, but not other brain cells, are surprisingly vulnerable to quaternary ammonium compounds and organophosphate flame retardants said Erin Cohn, lead author and graduate student in the School of Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program. Understanding human exposure to these chemicals may help explain a missing link in the onset of some neurological diseases.”
Experts said the association between human exposure to these chemicals and brain health effects requires further investigation. Future research will need to monitor levels of chemicals in the brains of adults and children to determine the amount and duration of exposure needed to cause or worsen the disease. “Our findings suggest that a more comprehensive examination of the impact of these common household chemicals on brain health is needed,” Tesar said. We hope that our work will contribute to making appropriate decisions regarding regulatory measures or behavioral interventions to minimize exposure to chemicals and protect human health.”
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