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FIU Researchers Discover How DDT Exposure
Contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
A new study led by researchers from DDT affects the brain, then perhaps we a roadmap to future therapies for people
Florida International University (FIU) could target those mechanisms and help highly exposed to DDT,” Richardson
reveals a mechanism linking the pesti- the people who have been highly says.
cide DDT to Alzheimer's disease. exposed.” The study was done in collaboration
Published in Environmental Health DDT was extensively used between with Rutgers University.
Perspectives, the study shows how the the 1940s and 1970s to combat insect- Researchers used cultured cells, trans-
persistent environmental pollutant DDT borne diseases like malaria and treat crop genic flies, and mice models to demon-
causes increased amounts of toxic amy- and livestock production. People highly strate DDT's effect on the amyloid path-
loid beta, which form the characteristic exposed to DDT back then are now way, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
amyloid plaques found in the brains of beginning or already in the range of ages By exposing all the models to DDT—
those with Alzheimer’s disease. with a higher risk for developing in the range of what people were exposed
• News Tips According to Jason Richardson, profes- Alzheimer’s disease. Although banned in to decades ago—researchers observed an
• Letters To the Editor sor at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of the U.S., DDT exposure is likely possible increase in the production of the amyloid
Public Health & Social Work and corre-
precursor protein, as well as elevated lev-
today from legacy contamination or
• Announce New Hires sponding author, the study further imported foods. els of toxic amyloid species, such as amy-
The study focused on sodium chan-
loid-beta peptides, and plaques.
demonstrates that DDT is an environ-
"We found that if we block sodium
and Promotions mental risk factor for Alzheimer's dis- nels, which the nervous system uses to channels with the compound tetrodotox-
ease. In 2014, he led a team of scientists
communicate between brain cells (neu-
• Promote Your Event at Rutgers University, Emory University, rons), as the potential mechanism. DDT in and then dose neurons with DDT, then
causes these channels to remain open,
and UT Southwestern Medical School
they don't increase the amyloid precur-
• Announce Business-Related Awards who presented evidence linking DDT to leading to increased firing of neurons sor protein and don't secrete excess amy-
loid-beta," Richardson says.
and increased release of amyloid-beta
the disease. Now, they have data demon-
• Tout Your Success strating a mechanism that may explain peptides. The next step for the researchers will
the association. In the study, researchers demonstrate be to test therapeutic drugs using the
"The vast majority of research on the that if neurons are treated with information they now know. Richardson
disease has been on genetics—and genet- tetrodotoxin, a compound that blocks shares that there already are several
E-mail your submissions to ics are very important—but the genes sodium channels in the brain, the drugs that target sodium channels.
that actually cause the disease are very increased production of the amyloid pre- “We are in the process of doing those
editorial@ rare," Richardson says. “Environmental cursor protein and toxic amyloid-beta studies to see if we can take an already
southfloridahospitalnews.com risk factors like exposure to DDT are species is prevented. FDA-approved drug and see if it reduces
modifiable. So, if we understand how “This finding could potentially provide toxic amyloid accumulation,” he adds.
20 September 2022 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News
