PM2.5 induces developmental neurotoxicity in cortical organoids

There is mounting evidence implicating the potential neurotoxic effects of PM2.5 during brain development, as it has been observed to traverse both the placental barrier and the fetal blood-brain barrier. However, the current utilization of 2D cell culture and animal models falls short in providing an accurate representation of human brain development. Consequently, the precise mechanisms underlying PM2.5-induced developmental neurotoxicity in humans remain obscure. To address this research gap, we constructed three-dimensional (3D) cortical organoids that faithfully recapitulate the initial stages of human cerebral cortex development. Our goal is to investigate the mechanisms of PM2.5-induced neurotoxicity using 3D brain organoids that express cortical layer proteins. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to PM2.5 concentrations of 5 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL induces neuronal apoptosis and disrupts normal neural differentiation, thereby suggesting a detrimental impact on neurodevelopment. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed PM2.5 exposure induced aberrations in mitochondrial complex I functionality, which is reminiscent of Parkinson's syndrome, potentially mediated by misguided axon guidance and compromised synaptic maintenance. This study is a pioneering assessment of the neurotoxicity of PM2.5 pollution on human brain tissues based on 3D cortical organoids, and the results are of great significance in guiding the formulation of the next air pollution prevention and control policies in China to achieve the sustainable improvement of air quality and to formulate pollution abatement strategies that can maximize the benefits to public health.