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Microplastics-Induced Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Accelerates Alzheimer's-Like Pathology and Cognitive Decline via the Gut-Brain Axis
Zifeng Wu, Jiarong Yang, Miaoxuan Zhang, Yi Li, Zhuling Tu, Ji Wang, Jin-Tai Yu, Kun Guo et al.. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026-06-15
Topic: Gut, metabolism and diet
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is incurable and increasingly attributed to gene-environment interactions. Microplastics (MPs) are omnipresent in the human food chain, yet their impact on neurodegeneration is largely unknown. Here we show that chronic oral exposure to 2-µm amine-modified polystyrene microparticles accelerates cognitive decline, amplifies Aβ deposition, gliosis, and synaptic loss, and cripples autophagic flux in 5XFAD mice through the gut-brain axis. MPs accumulate in the gut, breach the epithelial barrier, and selectively expand the taurine-depleting pathobiont Bilophila, while suppressing taurine-synthesizing commensals. Untargeted metabolomics reveal a systemic taurine deficit that precedes and predicts exacerbated Aβ deposition, gliosis, synaptic loss, and autophagic blockade in 5XFAD mice. Antibiotic-mediated microbiota ablation and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) demonstrate that the neurotoxic phenotype is fully microbiota-dependent. Restoring taurine level rebalances microglial homeostasis, reinstates autophagic flux, and rescues memory deficits in MPs-treated 5XFAD mice. Translational validation using Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) plasma shows taurine is significantly lower in AD patients versus cognitively normal controls and inversely correlates with cognitive decline. Our findings identify MPs-induced gut-microbiota dysbiosis as a modifiable environmental driver of AD pathogenesis and establish taurine supplementation as a readily translatable intervention that simultaneously fortifies the intestinal barrier and neutralizes microbiota-mediated neurodegeneration.
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APA 7th
Wu, Z., Yang, J., Zhang, M., Li, Y., Tu, Z., Wang, J., et al. (2026). Microplastics-Induced Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Accelerates Alzheimer's-Like Pathology and Cognitive Decline via the Gut-Brain Axis. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.76072
Vancouver
Wu Z, Yang J, Zhang M, Li Y, Tu Z, Wang J, et al. Microplastics-Induced Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Accelerates Alzheimer's-Like Pathology and Cognitive Decline via the Gut-Brain Axis. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). 2026. doi:10.1002/advs.76072. PMID: 42294809.
BibTeX
@article{wu2026-42294809,
author = {Wu, Zifeng and Yang, Jiarong and Zhang, Miaoxuan and Li, Yi and Tu, Zhuling and Wang, Ji and Yu, Jin-Tai and Guo, Kun and others},
title = {{Microplastics-Induced Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Accelerates Alzheimer's-Like Pathology and Cognitive Decline via the Gut-Brain Axis}},
journal = {Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1002/advs.76072},
pmid = {42294809},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.76072}
}
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Key findings
- Translational validation using Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) plasma shows taurine is significantly lower in AD patients versus cognitively normal controls and inversely correlates with cognitive decline.
- Our findings identify MPs-induced gut-microbiota dysbiosis as a modifiable environmental driver of AD pathogenesis and establish taurine supplementation as a readily translatable intervention that simultaneously fortifies the intestinal barrier and neutralizes microbiota-mediated neurodegeneration.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42294809) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 25 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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