Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Feb 06, 2026 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
Medical News: How the Environment and Genes Collide in Brain Diseases
Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are increasing worldwide, and scientists are now realizing that genetics alone cannot explain this troubling trend. A major new scientific review reveals that the environment people live in every day plays a powerful role in shaping brain health, especially when combined with inherited genetic risks. This
Medical News report highlights how pollution, pesticides, and long-term environmental stress can quietly interact with genes to raise the risk of brain diseases over time.
New research shows how pollution and genetics combine to raise brain disease risk
Why the Brain Is Especially Vulnerable
The human brain develops slowly, beginning before birth and continuing into early adulthood. Because of this long development period, the brain is unusually sensitive to harmful environmental exposures. Air pollution, chemical toxins, poor nutrition, and even long-term stress can interfere with brain development and maintenance. These exposures may not cause immediate symptoms but can quietly increase vulnerability to neurological diseases later in life.
The Role of Air Pollution and Toxic Chemicals
Researchers found strong evidence that fine air pollution particles known as PM2.5 can enter the brain through the bloodstream or even through the nose. Once inside, these particles trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and damage to the blood–brain barrier, which normally protects the brain from toxins. Over time, this damage may promote memory loss, cognitive decline, and brain degeneration. Agricultural pesticides were also found to harm brain cells by damaging energy-producing mitochondria, especially in regions linked to movement and memory.
Genes That Increase Risk
Not everyone is affected equally. People who carry certain genes, particularly the APOE ε4 gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease, appear to be far more sensitive to environmental damage. In these individuals, pollution exposure accelerates inflammation, worsens toxic buildup in the brain, and weakens natural repair mechanisms. This gene–environment interaction helps explain why some people develop neurological disease while others do not, even when living in similar conditions.
A New Era of Precision Neurology
The review emphasizes the rise of “precision neurology,” an approach that combines genetic testing with environmental exposure tracking. Advanced tools such as artificial intelligence, genomic analysis, and long-term exposure monitoring may soon help doctors predict who is most at risk and guide personalized prevention strategies. These may include lifestyle changes, pollution avoidance, targeted nutrition, and early monitoring of brain health markers.
Institutions Behind the Research
The researchers are from Sunway University and the Sunway Microbiome Cent
re in Malaysia, Management and Science University in Malaysia, and Ajman University and its Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research in the United Arab Emirates.
Conclusion
This review makes it clear that neurological diseases are not caused by genes alone. Instead, they emerge from a lifelong interaction between inherited biology and environmental exposures such as air pollution and toxic chemicals. Understanding these interactions opens the door to better prevention, smarter public health policies, and more personalized medical care. As environmental risks continue to rise globally, addressing them may be one of the most powerful ways to protect future brain health.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Biology
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/15/3/283
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/alzheimer,-dementia-
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