The role of mycotoxins in neurodegenerative diseases: current state of the art and future perspectives of research

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 403; no. 1; pp. 3 - 26
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Vu Thu Thuy, König, Svenja, Eggert, Simone, Endres, Kristina, Kins, Stefan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany De Gruyter 26.01.2022; Walter de Gruyter GmbH
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Animal models; Animals; blood-brain-barrier; Brain research; cell culture; Food contamination & poisoning; Food safety; Fungi; Health risks; Humans; Kinases; Liver diseases; Metabolism; Metabolites; Mycotoxins; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - drug therapy; Neurotoxicity; neurotoxin; Oxidative stress; Psychotherapy; three-dimensional-culture; neurotoxin; Alzheimer’s disease; blood-brain-barrier; three-dimensional-culture; cell culture; fungi
• ISSN: 1431-6730; 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0214

Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites that can cause various diseases in humans and animals. The adverse health effects of mycotoxins such as liver failure, immune deficiency, and cancer are well-described. However, growing evidence suggests an additional link between these fungal metabolites and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the wealth of these initial reports, reliable conclusions are still constrained by limited access to human patients and availability of suitable cell or animal model systems. This review summarizes knowledge on mycotoxins associated with neurodegenerative diseases and the assumed underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The limitations of the common and experiments to identify the role of mycotoxins in neurotoxicity and thereby in neurodegenerative diseases are elucidated and possible future perspectives to further evolve this research field are presented.