1. Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer
2. ENDO 2010 Preliminary News Conference and Webcast Schedule
3. New Patient Fact Sheet on Monogenic Diabetes Available
1. Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer
A study in mice reveals that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like bisphenol-A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), may program a fetus for life. Therefore, adult women who were exposed prenatally to BPA or DES could be at increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study accepted for publication in Hormones & Cancer, a journal of The Endocrine Society.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are substances in the environment that interfere with hormone biosynthesis, metabolism or action resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. These chemicals are designed, produced and marketed largely for specific industrial purposes.
“BPA is a weak estrogen and DES is a strong estrogen, yet our study shows both have a profound effect on gene expression in the mammary gland (breast) throughout life,” said Hugh Taylor, MD, of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. and lead author of the study. “All estrogens, even ‘weak’ ones can alter the development of the breast and ultimately place adult women who were exposed to them prenatally at risk of breast cancer.”
In this study, researchers treated pregnant mice with BPA or DES and then looked at the offspring as adults. When the offspring reached adulthood, their mammary glands still produced higher levels of EZH2, a protein that plays a role in the regulation of all genes. Higher EZH2 levels are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in humans.
“We have demonstrated a novel mechanism by which endocrine-disrupting chemicals regulate developmental programming in the breast,” said Taylor. “This study generates important safety concerns about exposures to environmental endocrine disruptors such as BPA and suggests a potential need to monitor women exposed to these chemicals for the development of breast lesions as adults.”
Other researchers working on the study include Leo Doherty, Jason Bromer, Yuping Zhou and Tamir Aldad of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
The article, “In Utero Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol (DES) or Bisphenol-A (BPA) Increases EZH2 Expression in the Mammary Gland: An Epigenetic Mechanism Linking Endocrine Disruptors to Breast Cancer,” has been published online and can be found at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/547256j0g02073v5/?p=286f52b5d3c94d9f8dc4546af408af89π=0.
2. ENDO 2010 Preliminary News Conference and Webcast Schedule
The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting and Expo
June 19-22, San Diego, California, San Diego Convention Center
Chevy Chase, MD—Breaking news on diabetes, combating obesity, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, menopause and weight-loss surgery will be presented in a series of news briefings at ENDO 2010: The 92nd Annual Meeting and Expo.
Saturday, June 19
Diabetes Discoveries (10 a.m. PDT): Latest therapeutic discoveries on the impact and management of diabetes.
Weight-Loss Surgery: Benefits Beyond Weight Loss (11 a.m. PDT): Positive health outcomes post weight-loss surgery.
Sunday, June 20
Obesity Breakthroughs (10 a.m. PDT): New ways of controlling food selection to combat obesity and the identification of additional health risks associated with obesity.
Monday, June 21
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Evidence of Impact (9:30 a.m. PDT): Frontier research on the impact of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Menopause: Hormones and the Aging Woman (1:30 p.m. PDT): Release of the Society’s scientific statement on menopausal hormone therapy and breaking research on risks associated with menopause and treatment of menopausal symptoms.
Tuesday, June 22
Childhood Obesity: Causes, Consequences and Prevention (9:30 a.m. PDT): Causes, consequences and prevention in the battle against childhood obesity; the impact of fitness and maternal health.
* Dates and times may change. A final news conference schedule will be issued before the meeting. Reporters may register for the meeting here: http://www.endo-society.org/endo2010/audience/media.cfm.
Reporters may also register for live news conference webcasts on: www.endowebcasting.com
Registered news media receive a badge that provides access to all meeting sessions, as well as to the Newsroom and press conferences. No one will be admitted without a valid ENDO badge.
3. New Patient Fact Sheet on Monogenic Diabetes Available
The Hormone Foundation recently published a new bilingual (English/Spanish) fact sheet that raises awareness about this uncommon type of diabetes. It describes the two main forms of monogenic diabetes—maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) and neonatal diabetes. Readers learn about the clinical criteria that may lead a physician to suspect monogenic diabetes. Genetic testing and treatment options are also covered. The fact sheet is available online at: http://www.hormone.org/Resources/upload/monogenic-diabetes-bilingual-042930.pdf.
