Posted: December 8, 2020
The Lone Star Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology, LSSOT, held its annual scientific symposium, “Integrated Exposures and Susceptibilities in 2020,” November 19-20. In addition to keynote addresses on engaging the community in susceptibility research and the effects of air pollution on children’s respiratory health, thirty-two trainee posters were submitted for the virtual meeting. These were evaluated prior to the meeting with the top eight selected as winners and asked to present during the symposium.
Five of the top eight posters were submitted by Texas A&M University trainees. We asked each of them to briefly explain the scope and significance of their research:
Application of Systematic Evidence Mapping to Characterize Baseline Legacy Chemical Contamination: An Urban Estuary Case Study.
Systematic evidence maps (SEMs) are emerging as tools in both toxicology and environmental sciences. Their transparency and objectivity provide a methodology that can help evaluate both exposures and derive relevant health values. For our project we sought to evaluate whether baseline chemical data existed in Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC); however, due to the limited historical data we were unable to make generalizable conclusions regarding a baseline.
Nuclear Receptor 4A1 Ligand as Potent Inhibitors of Breast Cancer Cell and Tumor Growth.
NR4A1 is highly overexpressed in multiple solid tumors and over expression of NR4A1 corelates with decreased overall survival of breast cancer patients. This research highlights the biological characterization of a series of 3,5-disubstituted CDIM compounds which exhibited the lowest KD values for binding NR4A1 and investigated their activity as antagonists of NR4A1-regulated pro-oncogenic pathways/gene products in both in vitro and in vivo animal model. The key translational contribution of this research is the identification of a highly potent NR4A1 antagonist with a potential clinical application in treating breast cancer.
In utero Ultrafine PM Exposure Leads to Enhanced Murine Neonatal RSV Infection Severity.
RSV is a significant viral threat to human infants, and may be exacerbated by their mothers being exposed to air pollution during pregnancy. Our animal model stands at a crucial crossroads of further understanding mechanisms of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the yet unknown role that in utero ultrafine particulate matter exposure may play in respiratory disease. No vaccine or specific therapeutic treatment is available for RSV, therefore identifying and removing risk factors from these infants is a critical step in combatting the virus.
Quantitative In Vitro-to-In Vivo Extrapolation for Mixtures: A Case Study of Superfund Priority List Pesticides.
With the increasing use of in vitro cell-based assays for toxicity testing, proper translation of these in vitro bioactive concentrations into human oral equivalent doses is critical to the 21st century health risk assessment. In this study, we addressed two critical data gaps in quantitative in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation: 1) technical difficulties to get relevant unbound fractions for lipophilic chemicals, and 2) the impacts of chemical-to-chemical interactions on QIVIVE. Our results revealed that, if available, toxicokinetic parameters determined from a site-specific mixture are recommended for use in chemical prioritization. This would provide a more relevant and protective decisions for prioritizing chemicals/contaminants in a Superfund sites.
Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Houston Ship Channel Following the Intercontinental Terminals Company Fire (ITC) Incident Using Ion-Mobility Spectrometry Mass Spectrometry (IMS-MS).
We often do not know which chemical exposures exist following a disaster; however, our research focuses on resolving those uncertainties in a quick manner while providing relevant information for a comprehensive risk assessment. This work illustrates how we can apply novel methods in analytical chemistry for rapid screening of environmental samples to facilitate exposure characterization during emergencies.