# Nasal uptake of polystyrene nanoplastics into the murine central nervous system

> **NIH NIH F31** · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE · 2024 · $35,944

## Abstract

Project Abstract:
Air pollutants such as nanoplastics have been identified to increase risks for neurodegenerative diseases such
as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs). Studies have found that these pollutants can enter the
central nervous system (CNS), however how this happens has not been fully characterized. Olfactory sensory
neurons (OSNs) are neurons whose cell bodies are found within the nasal epithelium, sending projections though
the cribiform plate and onto the olfactory bulbs (OBs) within the CNS. These neurons endogenously sense
compounds in the air to transmit information to the CNS and form a potential direct route for nanoplastics to
travel from the nose to the brain. The purpose of this proposal is to characterize the nose-to-brain pathway that
nanoplastics can be transported into the brain, whether sex, inflammation, age, or known genetic risk factors for
cognitive decline and ADRDs (APOE3/4) influence this pathway, and how microglial dynamics change in vitro,
after intranasal nanoplastic exposure. The first set of experiments will use advanced histological techniques and
confocal microscopy to investigate the cells involved in this pathway and whether sex, age, genotype and
inflammation alter the rate of nanoplastic uptake. The second set of experiments will focus on understanding
microglial dynamics after intranasal exposure to nanoplastics through 2-photon microscopy and utilizing antibody
staining to further investigate microglial dynamics. Age, sex, genotype, and inflammation will be observed to
determine their influence on nanoplastic uptake into the CNS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10997746
- **Project number:** 1F31ES036154-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Denver Greenawalt
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $35,944
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10997746

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10997746, Nasal uptake of polystyrene nanoplastics into the murine central nervous system (1F31ES036154-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10997746. Licensed CC0.

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