Nanoscale Diesel-Exhaust Particulate Matter (DPM) Impairs Synaptic Plasticity of Human iPSCs-Derived Cerebral Organoids

Nanoscale diesel-exhaust particulate matter (DPM), a cause of air pollution, has recently become the subject of many studies because it affects human health and causes neural diseases. However, most studies are based on epidemiology, cell, sliced tissue or animal models, and the toxic effects of nanoscale DPM on inducing disease in living human brain remain unclear. In this study, we developed a new in vitro model to investigate the synaptic plasticity impairment of human brain affected by nanoscale DPM using cerebral organoid (CO) mimicking human brain. Nanoscale DPM-exposed COs was observed in the electrophysiological signal-perturbed neuronal network following spike train measured by multi-electrode array. Furthermore, we confirmed a decrease of pre–post synaptic markers, neurotransmitter imbalance and increase of inflammatory markers by immunostaining in nanoscale DPM-exposed COs. This in vitro approach shows nanoscale DPM exposure disturbs synaptic balance in CO, which can contribute to neuronal disease, including developmental disorders.