Brown University
Formative Center for the Evaluation of Environmental Impacts on Fetal Development
Brown University
Kim Boekelheide, M.D., Ph.D.
Project Description:
At the Formative Center for the Evaluation of Environmental Impacts on Fetal Development, researchers are identifying measurable biological indicators, or biomarkers, that link environmental exposures to particular health effects. Biomarkers can help researchers identify how exposures to common environmental pollutants early in a child’s development can lead to disease later in life. They can also help identify people who have an increased risk for disease.
Center researchers study arsenic and endocrine disruptors, which can alter hormonal regulation in the body. They use mouse models to identify new biomarkers that indicate exposure to common environmental contaminants and to study how certain chemicals and materials impair organ function. They are also developing new ways to detect and measure damage early in development. The researchers communicate their findings to health care practitioners, other scientists, and the public to inform efforts to prevent, detect, or treat environmentally-induced diseases.
Project 1: Liver and metabolic syndrome
Project leader: Philip A. Gruppuso, M.D.
Arsenic is a natural element that people can ingest through drinking water and other sources. This project examines how altered liver development affects the risk for metabolic syndrome in the offspring of those exposed to arsenic. Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Project 2: Prostate and endocrine disruption
Project leader: Kim Boekelheide, M.D., Ph.D.
Recent evidence suggests that exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the womb may interfere with a person’s hormonal system and could contribute to the development of prostate cancer. Using mouse models, this project is evaluating the association of endocrine disruptors with possible developmental origins of prostate disease that occurs later in life. This project is also looking to discover epigenetic mechanisms that control disease onset and progress. Epigenetic changes produce a different pattern of gene expression without changing the genetic code.
Project 3: Lung, arsenic exposure, and tissue remodeling
Project leader: Monique Depaepe, M.D.
Some studies have shown that exposure to arsenic in the womb can cause problems with lung development in children and lead to respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and even death in both children and adults. This project is developing models to determine the mechanisms of arsenic-induced disruption of lung tissue remodeling. The models are expected to help explain how arsenic causes respiratory diseases, including asthma, and lung cancer.
