Blogs

This week, a multitude of SOT members contributed to a first-of-its-kind-to-appear-in-Nature-Biotechnology research paper, while others saw funding renewed and highlights in government publications.

SOT Member Research
In new research published in Nature Biotechnology, Nicole C. Kleinstreuer, Ellen L. Berg, Thomas B. Knudsen, Ann M. Richard, Matthew T. Martin, David M. Reif, Richard S. Judson, David J. Dix, Robert J. Kavlock, and Keith A. Houck evaluated one component of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ToxCast program, the use of primary human cell systems, by screening for chemicals that disrupt physiologically important pathways. They found the chemical-response signatures for 87 endpoints, discovering that their results closely matched those derived from animal studies.

In an Environmental Health Perspectives paper, Caren Weinhouse and Dana C. Dolinoy looked at the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure during gestation and lactation on adult incidence of hepatic tumors in mice, finding an association between BPA exposure in these early life stages and the development of tumors.

SOT Members in the News
Earlier this year, the Center for Translational Environmental Health Research became the 21st NIEHS Environmental Health Sciences Core Center. At its helm is SOT Past President Cheryl Lyn Walker. The new center is featured in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Factor.

A University of Rhode Island-based initiative, Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE), has been awarded another $18.8 million in National Institutes of Health funding to expand the program over the next five years. The program is led by Zahir Shaikh.

A number of SOT members are mentioned or pictured in NIEHS’ Environmental Factor story on the National Toxicology Program’s expert scientific panel review of some draft technical reports evaluating the carcinogenicity and toxicity of two dietary supplements, a water disinfection byproduct, and a metalworking fluid. The peer-review meeting was chaired by Hillary Carpenter III.

Science News

• EURL ECVAM is inviting public comments on its recommendation on the Zebrafish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test Method (European Commission)
• Solvents May Raise Breast Cancer Risk for Some, Study Finds (NBC News)
• Maloney bill would study health effects of menstrual hygiene products (Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s website)
• Lung-cancer risks sky high for smokers exposed to carcinogens (The Louisville Courier-Journal)
• 3-D Gel-Nanoparticle Device Detoxifies Blood (NIH)
• Panera to give all food additives the heave-ho (USA Today)
• FDA Taking Another Look at Mercury in Seafood (Associated Press)
• Autistic boys exposed to higher levels of hormones in womb, study finds (The Guardian UK)
• It's Time To Treat Crime Forensics Like Real Science (Popular Science)
• Take Care in the Kitchen: Avoiding Cooking-Related Pollutants (Environmental Health Perspectives)
• MDMA can be fatal in warm environments (NIH)
• Fatty liver disease prevented in mice (Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis)
• Three glowing mice (Chemistry World)
• US Senate Panel Gives NSF a Small Boost (Science Insider)
• Planes' exhaust could be harming communities up to 10 miles from LAX (Los Angeles Times)
• FEDERAL REGISTER: Lead; Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Lead-Based Paint Hazards from Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and Commercial Buildings

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