It is also possible that ATBC exposure during early development - when neurons are actively growing and dividing - could affect neurons directly and interfere with brain development, the researchers said. The findings suggest that ATBC could interfere with the ability for glial cells to regenerate, which can reduce their ability to protect neural cells and lead to neurodegeneration and accelerated aging. They found that neuroblastoma cells exposed to ATBC increased their expression of two genes associated with cellular stress (known as Nrf2 and p53) and also increased their production of an enzyme associated with cellular senescence (B-galactosidase), which can cause cells to stop growing and dividing. They then used molecular methods to study how ATBC and other chemicals affect genes and processes involved in cellular division. ATBC has emerged as a leading phthalate alternative as companies seek to shift away from phthalates and is currently used in a variety of materials and products, including food and food packaging.įor the study, researchers grew cultures of neuroblastoma cells, which, in terms of growth and division, behave similarly to the glial cells that support and protect neurons in the brain. Studies have shown that phthalate exposure can affect the reproductive system and early development in a range of animals, although the health impacts in humans are not clear. Phthalates are used in hundreds of products, often to enhance durability or allow materials to bend and stretch. Sease will present the new research at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, March 25-28 in Seattle. We think this finding warrants further testing of ATBC at different doses, in different settings and in whole organism models." "Our study suggests that ATBC, but not other non-phthalate alternatives, could interfere with cells that maintain brain health. "In the past, industries have promptly shifted away from the usage of toxic chemicals only to produce an equally toxic chemical, so this is something we are actively trying to avoid repeating," said Kyle Sease, a graduate student at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.
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