News Items: University of California-San Diego

Superfund Research Program

Center Director: Robert H. Tukey
Grant Number: P42ES010337
Funding Period: 2000-2023

Data science paves the way with new tools, insights for SRP
Environmental Factor - April 2021
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) held its first External Use Case (EUC) Showcase Feb. 18-19. Over 140 participants joined the meeting to share experiences and recommendations about integrating datasets from SRP-sponsored research. EUCs, developed by collaborations of researchers from different SRP centers, demonstrate specific scenarios in which data management and sharing could provide new insight on research questions and to identify barriers to inform future data efforts.

Triclosan and a High-fat Diet Worsen Liver Disease in Mice
Research Brief - February 2021
A new study funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) shows triclosan exposure, in combination with a high-fat diet, can worsen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Led by Robert Tukey, Ph.D., researchers at the University of California San Diego SRP Center described the molecular mechanisms by which triclosan alters metabolism and gut microbiota, resulting in fat buildup in the liver.

Triclosan Worsens Fatty Liver Disease in Mice
Environmental Factor - January 2021
NIEHS-funded researchers at the University of California, San Diego found evidence that triclosan, an antimicrobial found in medical soaps and household products, worsens fatty liver disease in mice that ate a high-fat diet. The authors also uncovered molecular mechanisms by which triclosan strips away liver cells natural protections and disrupts both metabolism and the gut microbiome.

SRP Centers Expand Scope to Address COVID-19 Research Needs
SRP News Page - December 2020
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) provided supplemental funding to four centers to expand the focus of their research to address critical knowledge gaps related to exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its disease, COVID-19. In response to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding encourages SRP researchers to address the public health crisis and its disparate effects on vulnerable populations.

Fighting COVID-19 using data science
Environmental Factor - June 2020
NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees and in-house scientists are lending their expertise in data integration and online tool development to explore how COVID-19 spreads and why some communities experience higher risk of infection. The projects described below represent just some of the diverse research underway at SRP centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NRF2 activation leads to enlarged liver
Paper of the Month - May 2020
An NIEHS-funded study suggested that prolonged activation of a protein nuclear factor called erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) may contribute to liver enlargement and fatty liver diseases. Normally, NRF2 plays an important role in regulating antioxidant defenses. In this study, researchers found that NRF2 also activated a protein called AKT, which is involved in glucose metabolism and other cell processes, and led to persistent production of growth factors associated with liver enlargement.

Plants take up heavy metals, help reduce pollution
Environmental Factor - April 2020
Julian Schroeder, Ph.D., visited NIEHS Feb. 24 to speak about his institute-funded research into how plants respond to environmental stress from toxic metals. The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) professor's talk was part of the Keystone Science Lecture Seminar Series.

Caspase-2 enzyme implicated in fatty liver disease
Paper of the Month - November 2018
NIEHS grantees discovered that a protein-cleaving enzyme known as caspase-2 is a major driver of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is the most aggressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). They reported that caspase-2 controls the buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides in liver tissue by activating sterol regulatory element binding proteins, the master regulators of fatty tissue formation in the liver.

How carcinogens turn liver cells into cancer cells
Paper of the Month - August 2018
A new study by NIEHS grantees and colleagues explains how DNA damage to liver cells can potentially lead to liver cancer. The researchers looked at CD44 proteins, which are located on the cell surface and are involved in binding with other molecules. They found that CD44 proteins may play a role in overriding the body's natural protective response to DNA damage.

Distinguished Lecture highlights mechanisms of liver cancer
Environmental Factor - June 2018
NIEHS Distinguished Lecturer Michael Karin, Ph.D., began his presentation by saying the war on cancer has been successful- except when it comes to liver cancer. According to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen a significant reduction in mortality from organ-specific cancers in the past 30 years. Nonetheless, the nation s incidence of liver cancer tripled during the same time, with a three percent increase each year. Karin wants to know why liver cancer is the outlier. Could what Americans eat be responsible?

New tumor-promoting pathway for liver cancer discovered
Paper of the Month - January 2018
A new study from NIEHS grantees showed that chronic liver inflammation can promote cancer by suppressing one of the body's natural mechanisms to fight cancer development. The discovery of this new tumor-promoting pathway could lead to new liver cancer treatments.