Role of the Exposome in Neurodegenerative Disease: Recent Insights and Future Directions

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are increasing in prevalence and place a significant burden on society. The causes are multifactorial and complex, and increasing evidence suggests a dynamic interplay between genes and the environment, emphasizing the importance of identifying and understanding the role of lifelong exposures, known as the exposome, on the nervous system. This review provides an overview of recent advances toward defining neurodegenerative disease exposomes, focusing on Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. We present the current state of the field based on emerging data, elaborate on key themes and potential mechanisms, and conclude with limitations and future directions. ANN NEUROL 2024

Nanoplastics and Neurodegeneration in ALS

“…Wild reflected that an increased burden of human disease may result from more prevalent environmental exposures interacting with potentially frequent but low-penetrant genetic variants [27], and advocated for improved exposure biomarkers [26]. There is an increasing appreciation of the role the exposome plays in influencing neurodegenerative diseases [8], along with a greater emphasis on research supporting the neural exposome [28]. In ALS, there are recurrent exposure types that contribute to disease risk, [6] such as pesticides, heavy metal exposure, and physical activity.…”

“…Of increasing concern is the role the life course of environmental exposures-the exposome-plays in ALS risk [6]. This is especially important as these exposures may be modifiable and offer the hope of disease prevention for ALS [7], and other neurological diseases more broadly [8].…”