PM2.5 exposure accelerated cellular ageing, impaired stem cell function and reduced bone mineral density in diabetic mice. What does this mean for people living with diabetes in India’s polluted cities?
Air pollution may affect more than the lungs and heart. A study in mice has found that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can accelerate ageing in bone marrow stem cells, weaken their ability to regenerate and shift the balance between bone and fat formation.
These effects were more pronounced in mice with Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that people with existing metabolic conditions could be particularly vulnerable. However, the findings have not yet been established in humans. Published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, the study by researchers at South Korea’s Jeonbuk National University examined PM2.5 exposure in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. The researchers found increased oxidative stress, DNA damage and cellular ageing in two types of bone marrow stem cells. Oxidative stress occurs when harmful molecules damage cells, while cellular senescence is a state in which cells stop dividing normally. The damage was greater in diabetic mice.