Multiple sclerosis and air pollution exposure: Mechanisms toward brain autoimmunity

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Neuroimmunology
• Toxicology

Background:

• The link between environmental factors and neurodegenerative diseases is increasingly recognized.
• Air pollution's role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis remains underexplored.
• Emerging evidence connects air pollutants to key MS pathological mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential impact of air pollution on multiple sclerosis pathogenesis.
• To hypothesize the mechanisms through which air pollutants may contribute to MS development.
• To highlight the need for further investigation into environmental factors in MS.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing evidence.
• Hypothesis generation based on mechanistic links.
• Prospective theoretical framework development.

Main Results:

• Air pollution exposure may induce mechanisms implicated in MS.
• These mechanisms include inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.
• Potential links to vitamin D deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction are suggested.

Conclusions:

• Air pollutants may initiate inflammatory-oxidative cascades contributing to MS.
• Exposure could reduce immunological self-tolerance, promoting neurodegeneration.
• This hypothesis warrants further research into air pollution as an environmental trigger for MS.