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Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology

Toxicology – the study of how chemicals interact with biological systems – has clear relevance to human health and disease. Persistent exposure to natural and synthetic chemicals is an unavoidable part of living on our planet; yet, we understand very little about the effects of exposure to the vast...

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Autores principales: Hahn, Mark E., Sadler, Kirsten C.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Company of Biologists Ltd 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132827/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32094287
http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dmm.043844
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author Hahn, Mark E.
Sadler, Kirsten C.
author_facet Hahn, Mark E.
Sadler, Kirsten C.
author_sort Hahn, Mark E.
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description Toxicology – the study of how chemicals interact with biological systems – has clear relevance to human health and disease. Persistent exposure to natural and synthetic chemicals is an unavoidable part of living on our planet; yet, we understand very little about the effects of exposure to the vast majority of chemicals. While epidemiological studies can provide strong statistical inference linking chemical exposure to disease, research in model systems is essential to elucidate the mechanisms of action and to predict outcomes. Most research in toxicology utilizes a handful of mammalian models that represent a few distinct branches of the evolutionary tree. This narrow focus constrains the understanding of chemical-induced disease processes and systems that have evolved in response to exposures. We advocate for casting a wider net in environmental toxicology research to utilize diverse model systems, including zebrafish, and perform more mechanistic studies of cellular responses to chemical exposures to shift the perception of toxicology as an applied science to that of a basic science. This more-inclusive perspective will enrich the field and should remain central to research on chemical-induced disease.
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spelling pubmed-71328272020-04-06 Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology Hahn, Mark E. Sadler, Kirsten C. Dis Model Mech Editorial Toxicology – the study of how chemicals interact with biological systems – has clear relevance to human health and disease. Persistent exposure to natural and synthetic chemicals is an unavoidable part of living on our planet; yet, we understand very little about the effects of exposure to the vast majority of chemicals. While epidemiological studies can provide strong statistical inference linking chemical exposure to disease, research in model systems is essential to elucidate the mechanisms of action and to predict outcomes. Most research in toxicology utilizes a handful of mammalian models that represent a few distinct branches of the evolutionary tree. This narrow focus constrains the understanding of chemical-induced disease processes and systems that have evolved in response to exposures. We advocate for casting a wider net in environmental toxicology research to utilize diverse model systems, including zebrafish, and perform more mechanistic studies of cellular responses to chemical exposures to shift the perception of toxicology as an applied science to that of a basic science. This more-inclusive perspective will enrich the field and should remain central to research on chemical-induced disease. The Company of Biologists Ltd 2020-04-01 /pmc/articles/PMC7132827/ /pubmed/32094287 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dmm.043844 Text en © 2020. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided that the original work is properly attributed.
spellingShingle Editorial
Hahn, Mark E.
Sadler, Kirsten C.
Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title_full Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title_fullStr Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title_full_unstemmed Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title_short Casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
title_sort casting a wide net: use of diverse model organisms to advance toxicology
topic Editorial
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132827/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32094287
http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dmm.043844
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