Environmental exposures and gene regulation in disease etiology

Ciência & Saúde Coletiva

Thea M. Edwards²  John Peterson Myers¹ 

[1] ,University of Florida Department of Zoology ,USA

关键词: DNA methylation;    Drug resistance;    Endocrine disruption;    Gene expression;    Gene regulation;    Metilação do DNA;    Resistência a drogas;    Distúrbios endócrinos;    Expressão genética;    Regulação genética;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1413-81232008000100030

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Health or disease is shaped for all individuals by interactions between their genes and environment. Exactly how the environment changes gene expression and how this can lead to disease are being explored in a fruitful new approach to environmental health research, representative studies of which are reviewed here. We searched Web of Science and references of relevant publications to understand the diversity of gene regulatory mechanisms affected by environmental exposures with disease implications. Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, air pollutants, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, hormones, nutrition, and behavior can change gene expression through a broad array of gene regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, chemically induced changes in gene regulation are associated with serious and complex human diseases, including cancer, diabetes and obesity, infertility, respiratory diseases, allergies, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. The reviewed studies indicate that genetic predisposition for disease is best predicted in the context of environmental exposures. And the genetic mechanisms investigated in these studies offer new avenues for risk assessment research. Finally, we are likely to witness dramatic improvements in human health, and reductions in medical costs, if environmental pollution is decreased.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
 All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License