MDPI Papers Cited in the News: July 2024
This month’s round-up of MDPI Papers Cited in the News covers a range of high-quality research articles cited 913 times by popular news outlets such as National Geographic and The Guardian. Here, we find out how air pollution can affect skin health, the role of endorphins in the development of new brain cells, and how HDL cholesterol levels might not be as important as we think. We also have a brief insight into the latest breakthrough on retinal atrophy in dogs, and how it may help in the development of future genetic testing.
Effect of Air Pollution on the Skin
Cited in The Washington Post: How to protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer
Published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences: Environmental Air Pollutants Affecting Skin Functions with Systemic Implications
Pollution poses a serious risk to public health. The skin is the first line of defense to prevent unwanted and potentially harmful substances from entering the body. However, it is made difficult when external factors such as air pollution can compromise this essential barrier. Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences provides an extensive literature review on the effects of air pollutants on the function of the skin. The article, cited in The Washington Post, discusses how air pollution can impact things like the initial synthesis of vitamin D precursor D3, a process that occurs in the epidermal layer of the skin upon exposure to UV light and is essential for skin immunity.
The review explores different skin conditions, such as psoriasis, acne, and skin cancer, with an emphasis on how air pollution can contribute to their pathogenesis. The review also explores treatment strategies and options for skin that has been damaged from air pollutant exposure. The authors particularly emphasize hydration and skin barrier repair to prevent future skin damage, providing explanations for potential treatment options and their role in healing.
The Role of Endorphins on Neurogenesis
Cited in National Geographic: Social Running is all the rage – here’s why it’s good for you
Published in Biomolecules: A Runner’s High for New Neurons? Potential Role for Endorphins in Exercise Effects in Adult Neurogenesis
Exercise has immense benefits for health, especially running. A review published in Biomolecules explores how running can impact the development of new neurons, or neurogenesis. The study looks at endorphins, the key hormone released in the brain when you exercise, and its potential role in neurogenesis in adults. The authors explore the mechanisms by which beta-endorphins can induce neurogenesis, looking at previous studies that provide evidence for the concept.
The key study discussed includes a knockout study, in which beta-endorphin is absent in mice under exercise conditions, which resulted in a lack of increase in cell proliferation. Under sedentary conditions, cell proliferation remained normal, suggesting that exercise is one type of mediator for neurogenesis.
The review concludes that more research is required to analyze how beta-endorphins induce neurogenesis in adults under different conditions, including the differences between males and females.
Effect of Exercise on the Quality of HDL Cholesterol
Cited in TIME: Should you try to raise your ‘good’ cholesterol? You might not need to
Published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences: The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on HDL Quantity and Quality: A Narrative Review
Exploring the role of exercise even further, a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and cited in TIME magazine looks at how aerobic exercise affects the quality of HDL cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a type of cholesterol made by the body that has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative antidiabetic, and antithrombotic effects. Hence, it plays a role in combatting heart disease, which is seen in studies showing that low HDL may result in an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
The review analyses previous studies to see how exercise impacts not just the quantity but also the quality of HDL. These previous studies suggest that the structural composition of HDL is also important and that higher HDL does not always result in a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The review discusses how different subclasses of HDL have distinct functionalities, which are associated with the presence of different proteins and lipids.
The authors explore how these variations affect the different properties of HDL and its health implications. Importantly, the study runs through evidence on how exercise and a healthy diet may play roles in improving lipid profiles and hence decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Understanding how exercise can improve the functionality of HDL can be beneficial for future work on heart disease and subsequent treatment programs.
Potential Mechanism on How Plastic Particles Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier
Cited in Forbes: Protecting Employees with Cleaner Water
Published in Nutrients: Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood‒Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed
Microplastics and their health implications are becoming a predominant issue. With the rampant over-production of plastic, everything from our food to clothes may contain microplastics that can enter our bodies. An original article published in Nutrients reveals one mechanism by which micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) can cross the blood‒brain barrier.
Microplastics are found in nearly all areas of the body and may play a role in inducing inflammation and cardiovascular disease, amongst a plethora of other health issues. The article discusses how the BBB is an essential barrier protecting our brain from harmful or toxic substances.
The authors find that the surface of MNPs forms a protein called a corona, and it is this structure that interacts with the BBB. Corona is an accumulation of proteins and biomolecules that assemble when in contact with biological fluid. The authors conclude that through computational and mice model studies, they find that these MNPs cross the BBB through its interaction with specific corona structures and that specific microplastics induce brain signals 2 hours after being orally administered. Furthermore, they find that cholesterol molecules enhance the uptake of microplastics.
Unraveling the transport mechanism of MNPs is extremely important to understand the implications that microplastics have on our health. It is also important for the potential future development of therapeutic interventions. You can read our previous article on microplastics in food, and how research in polymers can be more sustainable.
Specific Genetic Insertion May Indicate Development of Retinal Atrophy in Dogs
Cited in The Guardian: Genetic Test could Eradicate a type of inherited blindness in dogs
Published in Genes: Exonic Short Interspersed Nuclear Element Insertion in FAM161A Is Associated with Autosomal Recessive Progressive Retinal Atrophy in the English Shepherd.
Progressive retinal atrophy is a recessive inherited disease found in dogs that results in blindness and is very difficult to treat. Novel research published in Genes finds that specific DNA insertions are associated with the development of the disease in English Shepherds.
The article, cited in The Guardian, described whole genomic sequencing and mapping methods to identify this sequence of DNA in a gene called FAM161A. This breakthrough research could potentially be extremely useful in the future development of genetic testing. In this way, it could be beneficial for not only owners with dogs but also breeders to have this information and eradicate the disease from the new breed. You can read more about this research in a previous blog post.
As mentioned in the Guardian article, these developments are essential for dogs that may be trained for extensive periods to become therapy or rescue dogs. Confirming that the dogs do not have the disease will be useful to ensure that the time and resources put into training the dog will be well-allocated.
To read more of the diverse and high-quality research published by MDPI, click here to see the full list of journals.
