Study Rationale: With growing global concerns about environmental chemicals acting as a trigger of Parkinson's disease (PD), we will assess the affect such molecules have on the electrical activity, cellular function and degeneration of human brain cells from healthy individuals and from people with PD. This study will help us understand how acute and chronic exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals affect brain health, informing safer use of these molecules. This research marks a significant step toward reducing the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, easing the economic burdens tied to caring for affected individuals and offering hope to PD patients and their families.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that identifying the mechanisms by which environmental chemicals harm human brain cells will reveal how alterations in neuronal firing activity and cellular function lead to neurodegeneration in healthy individuals and those vulnerable to PD.
Study Design: We will use stem cells derived from healthy individuals and those with PD to generate dopamine-producing neurons, which are the cells selectively lost in PD. We will then expose these neurons to some of Australia’s most prevalent environmental chemicals. We will examine the effects of both acute (minutes) and chronic (weeks) exposure, at low and high doses. Our screening platform will assess firing activity and action potential kinetics in human neurons exposed to environmental chemicals, identify changes in cellular function and determine the degenerative capacity of these chemicals.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Our screening platform will determine the impact of environmental chemicals on brain health and provide an in-depth understanding of their mechanisms of action. The results will facilitate evidence-based changes to public health policy and regulatory standards to improve health outcomes and reduce the societal burden of caring for affected individuals.
Next Steps for Development: This platform could assist in identifying safer chemicals for agriculture and industry and guide development of mitigation for inevitable exposures. Instead of relying on epidemiological data following decades of harmful chemical exposure, this approach will provide the proof of concept for a rapid, proactive strategy for avoiding neurotoxic chemical exposure.