Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases

Cyanobacteria can produce a wide range of toxins which have acute and chronic adverse health effects. Affecting a variety of mammalian systems, they are generally characterized according to their mode of action and the organs affected. Cyanobacterial neurotoxins are one cyanotoxin class that can neg...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zachary James Morris, Elijah W. Stommel, James Spencer Metcalf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2320
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849722338931638272
author Zachary James Morris
Elijah W. Stommel
James Spencer Metcalf
author_facet Zachary James Morris
Elijah W. Stommel
James Spencer Metcalf
author_sort Zachary James Morris
collection DOAJ
description Cyanobacteria can produce a wide range of toxins which have acute and chronic adverse health effects. Affecting a variety of mammalian systems, they are generally characterized according to their mode of action and the organs affected. Cyanobacterial neurotoxins are one cyanotoxin class that can negatively affect human health, and representatives of other cyanotoxins classes are increasingly showing neurotoxic effects. Of the various human exposure routes to cyanobacterial toxins, the significance of the airborne and inhalation route requires much greater clarity and understanding. People may be exposed to mixtures of cyanobacterial neurotoxins through the inhalation of sprays and dust, along with the potential to directly enter the central nervous system when crossing the blood-brain barrier. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning airborne cyanobacterial neurotoxins, research gaps, health effects, and the need for management practices to protect human and animal health.
format Article
id doaj-art-b0dabfa8c0d64a8f83620c1a23528715
institution DOAJ
issn 1420-3049
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Molecules
spelling doaj-art-b0dabfa8c0d64a8f83620c1a235287152025-08-20T03:11:22ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-05-013011232010.3390/molecules30112320Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative DiseasesZachary James Morris0Elijah W. Stommel1James Spencer Metcalf2Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USADepartment of Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USACyanobacteria can produce a wide range of toxins which have acute and chronic adverse health effects. Affecting a variety of mammalian systems, they are generally characterized according to their mode of action and the organs affected. Cyanobacterial neurotoxins are one cyanotoxin class that can negatively affect human health, and representatives of other cyanotoxins classes are increasingly showing neurotoxic effects. Of the various human exposure routes to cyanobacterial toxins, the significance of the airborne and inhalation route requires much greater clarity and understanding. People may be exposed to mixtures of cyanobacterial neurotoxins through the inhalation of sprays and dust, along with the potential to directly enter the central nervous system when crossing the blood-brain barrier. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning airborne cyanobacterial neurotoxins, research gaps, health effects, and the need for management practices to protect human and animal health.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2320cyanobacteriacyanotoxinmicrocystinbeta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB)N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (AEG)
spellingShingle Zachary James Morris
Elijah W. Stommel
James Spencer Metcalf
Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
Molecules
cyanobacteria
cyanotoxin
microcystin
beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)
2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB)
N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (AEG)
title Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
title_full Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
title_fullStr Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
title_full_unstemmed Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
title_short Airborne Cyanobacterial Toxins and Their Links to Neurodegenerative Diseases
title_sort airborne cyanobacterial toxins and their links to neurodegenerative diseases
topic cyanobacteria
cyanotoxin
microcystin
beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)
2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB)
N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (AEG)
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2320
work_keys_str_mv AT zacharyjamesmorris airbornecyanobacterialtoxinsandtheirlinkstoneurodegenerativediseases
AT elijahwstommel airbornecyanobacterialtoxinsandtheirlinkstoneurodegenerativediseases
AT jamesspencermetcalf airbornecyanobacterialtoxinsandtheirlinkstoneurodegenerativediseases