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Research Briefs By Category: Health Effects - Human Studies

Superfund Research Program

  • 346 - Mechanism of Cadmium-induced Neurotoxicity, Potential Treatment Revealed -- Lu
    Release Date: 10/04/2023

    A particular class of extracellular vesicles protects against neurotoxicity caused by cadmium exposure, according to an NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded study. Extracellular vesicles are small packages of fats, nucleic acids, or proteins that allow cells to communicate with each other and support numerous cellular functions.

  • 335 - PFAS Exposure Associated with Elevated Cholesterol in North Carolina Community -- Hoppin
    Release Date: 11/02/2022

    NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)-funded researchers found that elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the blood of participants of the GenX Exposure Study were associated with higher cholesterol. Led by Jane Hoppin, ScD., of the North Carolina State University SRP Center, the study started in 2017 in response to the concerns of residents of Wilmington, North Carolina, about PFAS in their drinking water.

  • 331 - Emerging PFAS Can Cause Changes in Gene Expression and Lipid Accumulation in Human Liver Cells -- Slitt
    Release Date: 07/06/2022

    New types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can induce significant increases in gene expression and lipid accumulation in human liver cells at lower concentrations compared to PFAS no longer in use, according to researchers funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP).

  • 329 - Protein Provides Insight into Respiratory Toxicity of Cadmium -- Antony
    Release Date: 05/04/2022

    A protein called fibrinogen can be an indicator of cadmium exposure in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study led by Veena Antony, M.D., director of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. COPD stems from thickening of airways in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath and persistent coughing.

  • 289 - Study Sheds Light on Respiratory Toxicity of EPFRs -- Dugas, Cormier
    Release Date: 01/30/2019

    A new SRP study explains how particulate matter (PM) containing environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR is known to play an important role in detecting and responding to a variety of pollutants. These findings could prove useful in understanding the underlying mechanism of diseases known to be associated with inhalation of PM, such as cardiovascular disease.

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