PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Air pollution emerges as critical environmental risk factor for autism, emerging topic review finds

Scientists reveal complex links between air pollutants and neurodevelopmental disorders in landmark brain medicine emerging topic review

Air pollution emerges as critical environmental risk factor for autism, emerging topic review finds
2024-11-12
(Press-News.org) Boston, Massachusetts, 12 November 2024 – Environmental exposure to air pollutants during critical developmental periods may significantly impact autism risk, according to a groundbreaking Emerging Topic review published 12 November 2024, in Brain Medicine. The study reveals how common air pollutants, including fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, can trigger complex biological cascades affecting brain development.

"Different kinds of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, can be associated with this environmental factor," explains Professor Haitham Amal from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the study's senior author. "The timing of exposure appears crucial, with heightened vulnerability during prenatal development and early childhood when critical neurodevelopmental processes occur."

The review identifies several key pathways through which air pollutants may influence ASD development:

• Nitrosative stress orchestrated by nitric oxide (NO)

• Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress

• Disruption of neurotransmitter systems

• Epigenetic modifications

• Endocrine system interference

• Metabolic pathway dysregulation

Of particular concern is the finding that smaller particles, especially PM2.5 as well as NO products, can cross the placenta and affect fetal brain development. This revelation raises important questions about protective measures for pregnant women in highly polluted areas.

"The research suggests that individuals with genetic predisposition to ASD may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution exposure," Professor Amal notes. "This interaction between genetic and environmental factors opens new avenues for understanding ASD's complex etiology."

“My lab has shown that NO plays a major role in ASD. However, this study emphasizes the critical role of this molecule and its derivatives on the brain” Prof. Amal comments. 

The review, first authored by PhD student Shashank Ojha, also highlights promising directions for biomarker development, potentially enabling early identification of at-risk individuals. These findings arrive at a crucial time, as global ASD prevalence reaches 1-1.5% of the population.

The implications extend beyond individual health to public policy. How might cities need to adapt their urban planning to protect vulnerable populations? What role could air quality monitoring play in prenatal care? These questions become increasingly urgent as urbanization continues worldwide.

The research team emphasizes the need for comprehensive studies examining the combined effects of multiple pollutants, particularly during specific developmental windows. Understanding these interactions could prove crucial for developing effective preventive strategies.

The Emerging Topic review, titled “Air Pollution: An Emerging Risk Factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder,” will be published in Brain Medicine on November 12, 2024. It will be freely available online at https://url.genomicpress.com/2p8wcjw3.

About Brain Medicine: Brain Medicine (ISSN: 2997-2639) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Brain Medicine is a new home for the cross-disciplinary pathway from innovation in fundamental neuroscience to translational initiatives in brain medicine. The journal’s scope includes the underlying science, causes, outcomes, treatments, and societal impact of brain disorders, across all clinical disciplines and their interface.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Air pollution emerges as critical environmental risk factor for autism, emerging topic review finds Air pollution emerges as critical environmental risk factor for autism, emerging topic review finds 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Autism and nitric oxide: Professor Haitham Amal unveils brain disorder breakthrough

Autism and nitric oxide: Professor Haitham Amal unveils brain disorder breakthrough
2024-11-12
Boston, Massachusetts, 12 November 2024 – The complex interplay between nitric oxide and brain disorders takes center stage in the latest Genomic Press Interview, published November 12, 2024, in Brain Medicine. Professor Haitham Amal, head of the Laboratory of Neuromics, Cell Signaling, and Translational Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, shares insights into his groundbreaking research and personal motivation. “Meeting families and children with autism in Boston during my time at MIT inspired me to focus on a single goal: to help develop biological diagnostics ...

Facing the wind: How trees behave across various forest settings and weather events

Facing the wind: How trees behave across various forest settings and weather events
2024-11-12
Destructive winds during storms and cyclones often cause tree failures, especially through uprooting and stem breakage. However, how trees respond to wind under various forest configurations and weather conditions remains unclear. A recent study on Cryptomeria japonica plots shows that trees dissipate wind energy by switching between two swaying behaviors at specific wind speeds, offering insights that may help in improved forest management to minimize damage caused by storms. Extreme weather events, such as tropical and extratropical cyclones and tornadoes, can cause widespread damage to forests, leading to environmental and financial ...

High-performance inkjet print head enhances bioprinting productivity

High-performance inkjet print head enhances bioprinting productivity
2024-11-12
Bioprinting is a technology used to create three-dimensional structures, such as human tissues or organs, using bio-inks made of cells and hydrogels. However, conventional inkjet technology has difficulty dispensing bio-inks that are sensitive to temperature due to the heat generated during operation. Furthermore, conventional 3D bioprinting mainly utilizes simple syringe-type printing devices with a single needle, making it time-consuming to produce artificial organs like the brain, lungs, and heart. The Bionics Research Center team, led by Dr. Byung Chul Lee at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Sang-Rok Oh), in ...

Opioid use disorder: Updated clinical practice guideline

2024-11-12
La version française suit Opioid use disorder: updated clinical practice guideline An updated evidence-based guideline aimed at helping clinicians and other health care providers manage patients with opioid use disorder recommends buprenorphine and methadone as first-line treatments. The guideline is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241173 Opioid use and opioid use disorder are the leading causes of drug-related deaths worldwide, and Canada ...

Microneedle sensors for dermal interstitial fluid analysis

Microneedle sensors for dermal interstitial fluid analysis
2024-11-12
The rapid advancement in personalized healthcare has driven the development of wearable biomedical devices for real-time biomarker monitoring and diagnosis. Traditional invasive blood-based diagnostics are painful and limited to sporadic health snapshots. To address these limitations, microneedle-based sensing platforms have emerged, utilizing interstitial fluid (ISF) as an alternative biofluid for continuous health monitoring in a minimally invasive and painless manner. The team led by Wei Gao from California Institute of Technology providea a comprehensive overview of microneedle sensor technology, covering microneedle design, fabrication methods, ...

‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep

‘Sleepy cannabis’: first study to show cannabinol increases sleep
2024-11-12
Research by scientists at the University of Sydney has identified a constituent in the cannabis plant that improves sleep. Their report is the first to use objective measures to show the component, known as cannabinol (CBN), increases sleep in rats.  The study has been published in the leading journal Neuropsychopharmacology. “For decades, cannabis folklore has suggested that aged cannabis makes consumers sleepy via the build-up of CBN, however there was no convincing evidence for this,” said lead author on the study Professor Jonathon Arnold, ...

Mount Sinai team shows AI can detect serious neurologic changes in babies in the NICU using video data alone

Mount Sinai team shows AI can detect serious neurologic changes in babies in the NICU using video data alone
2024-11-12
A team of clinicians, scientists, and engineers at Mount Sinai trained a deep learning pose-recognition algorithm on video feeds of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to accurately track their movements and identify key neurologic metrics. Findings from this new artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool, published November 11 in Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, could lead to a minimally invasive, scalable method for continuous neurologic monitoring in NICUs, providing critical real-time insights into infant health that have not been possible before. Every year, more than 300,000 ...

Jeffrey Popma, MD, joins CRF as Chief Scientific and Strategic Officer

2024-11-11
NEW YORK – November 11, 2024 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®) proudly announces the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Popma as Chief Scientific and Strategic Officer. A world-renowned leader in cardiovascular research, Dr. Popma will drive forward pivotal programs and initiatives that will shape CRF’s future and fuel innovation at the CRF® Clinical Trials Center (CTC). His leadership will be instrumental in the development of the recently launched Real-World Data and Outcomes Center, advancing CRF’s commitment to impactful ...

Seiber elevated to IEEE senior member

Seiber elevated to IEEE senior member
2024-11-11
Larry Seiber, an R&D staff member in the Vehicle Power Electronics group at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elevated to senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE.  Senior member status requires extensive experience that reflects professional accomplishments. Only 10% of IEEE’s more than 450,000 members achieve this level.  Seiber has conducted decades of cutting-edge research in power electronics and electric machinery. He developed the hardware ...

Study sheds light on how BRCA1 gene mutations fuel breast cancer

2024-11-11
People inherit two copies of each gene — one from each parent — an evolutionary fail-safe to ensure survival even when one of them doesn’t function. For cancer-suppressor genes like BRCA1, researchers have long hypothesized that a single healthy copy could still guard against tumor development. Yet women with one harmful BRCA1 mutation are far more likely to develop breast cancer — a risk traditionally explained by a second mutation that arises later in life, damages the healthy copy of the gene, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia

Evolution of fast-growing fish-eating herring in the Baltic Sea

Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector

Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?

Development of a global innovative drug in eye drop form for treating dry age-related macular degeneration

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49

[Press-News.org] Air pollution emerges as critical environmental risk factor for autism, emerging topic review finds
Scientists reveal complex links between air pollutants and neurodevelopmental disorders in landmark brain medicine emerging topic review