Superfund Research Program
Detection and Models of Toxicant Exposure
Center Director: Robert H. Tukey
Grant Number: P42ES010337
Funding Period: 2000-2022
Program Links
Research Briefs
- 314 - Triclosan and a High-fat Diet Worsen Liver Disease in Mice -- Tukey
Release Date: 02/03/2021A 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.
- 284 - Researchers Pinpoint Molecule Fueling Liver Cancer Development -- Karin
Release Date: 08/01/2018New research out of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center explains how liver cells with DNA damage manage to survive and divide, fueling liver cancer. The study highlights the importance of a family of molecules called CD44 proteins, which are located on the surface of cells.
- 278 - Chronic Inflammation Suppresses Immune Cells that Fight Liver Cancer -- Karin
Release Date: 02/07/2018Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) showed that chronic liver inflammation can promote cancer by suppressing one of the body's natural mechanisms to fight cancer development. The study, funded in part by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), explains the success of some types of cancer immunotherapy and suggests novel targets for new therapies.
- 260 - Identifying Mechanisms for Regulating Gas Exchange in Plants -- Schroeder
Release Date: 08/03/2016Superfund Research Program (SRP) researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are identifying important mechanisms that plants use to respond to changes in the environment. They recently discovered molecular mechanisms that enhance the activity of proteins essential to closing stomata, or pores found on the surface of leaves, in response to environmental stressors.
- 250 - Intestinal Microbes Protect the Liver and Prevent Liver Fibrosis -- Brenner
Release Date: 10/07/2015Bacteria and other microbes in the intestines prevent liver fibrosis, or scarring, upon chronic liver injury in mice, according to a new study from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The research, funded in part by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), is the first to show a beneficial role of intestinal microbiota in maintaining liver homeostasis and preventing liver fibrosis resulting from chronic damage to the liver.
- 249 - Newly Discovered Cells Regenerate Liver Tissue Without Forming Tumors -- Karin
Release Date: 09/02/2015Researchers, through the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, have discovered a population of liver cells that are better at regenerating liver tissue than ordinary liver cells, or hepatocytes. The study is the first to identify these so-called "hybrid hepatocytes" and show that they are able to regenerate liver tissue without giving rise to cancer. While most of the work described in the study was done in mouse models, the researchers also found similar cells in human livers.
- 241 - SRP Researchers Determine that Triclosan Promotes Liver Tumor Growth in Mice -- Tukey, Hammock
Release Date: 01/07/2015A collaborative study showed that long-term exposure to triclosan promotes the growth of liver tumors in laboratory mice, raising concerns about its safety for humans. Triclosan is a common antibacterial chemical used in a wide variety of consumer products such as cosmetics, soaps, detergents, and toothpaste.
- 192 - Discovery of the Key to Metal Accumulation in Plants -- Schroeder
Release Date: 12/01/2010Plants that take up hazardous metals can help clean up polluted soils, but they also can become a route of human exposure when edible crops take up pollutants. Researchers are deciphering how plants take up metals in order to better control the process.
- 118 - Evidence of a Molecular Link Between Inflammation and Cancer -- Karin
Release Date: 10/06/2004 - 110 - Resistance to Heavy Metals - a Possible Tool for Phytoremediation -- Schroeder
Release Date: 02/06/2004 - 94 - Anthrax invades and evades the immune system to cause widespread infection -- Karin
Release Date: 10/02/2002 - 91 - The Role of Bacteria in Bioremediation of Metals -- Tebo
Release Date: 07/03/2002