Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Human Health: Effects on Metabolism, Diabetes and Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere and interact with the endocrine system, resulting in altered hormonal signaling and function. PBDEs are common endocrine disruptors that have been commonly used in industrial products, and their environmental accumulation has become a rising concern. Human exposure to PBDEs has been shown to influence glucose metabolism, thyroid and ovarian function and potentially affect cancer risk. Evidence, however, is often conflicting. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the potential role of PBDEs in human health, with a particular focus on glucose metabolism, endocrine diseases and cancer. A deeper understanding of the complex interplay between exposure to endocrine disruptors, on one side, and obesity, diabetes, related metabolic disturbances and cancer, on the other side, can help guide public health interventions, in order to reduce the burden of these major social threats. ABSTRACT: There is increasing evidence of the role of endocrine disruptors (EDs) derived from commonly employed compounds for manufacturing and processing in altering hormonal signaling and function. Due to their prolonged half-life and persistence, EDs can usually be found not only in industrial products but also in households and in the environment, creating the premises for long-lasting exposure. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are common EDs used in industrial products such as flame retardants, and recent studies are increasingly showing that they may interfere with both metabolic and oncogenic pathways. In this article, a multidisciplinary panel of experts of the Italian Association of Medical Diabetologists (AMD), the Italian Society of Diabetology (SID), the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) and the Italian Society of Pharmacology (SIF) provides a review on the potential role of PBDEs in human health and disease, exploring both molecular and clinical aspects and focusing on metabolic and oncogenic pathways.