The Opportunity to Translate Developmental Toxicology into a Therapeutic Discipline

Hughes, Claude L.; Waters, Michael D.; Allen, David; Obasanjo, Iyabo

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27449-2_1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…), environmental/unintentional exposures (physical, chemical or infectious agents and familial and socioeconomic stressors), as well as maternal pre-pregnancy comorbid diseases and obstetrical disorders such as gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and early or late onset preeclampsia. All of these factors ( 33 ) (see multi-authored chapters 3–10) may influence fetal development and thereby move the fetus along different developmental paths than is followed by others. Once again, each of these types of exposure during development modify that future human and diversifies the spectrum of persons who later enter society via parturition and livebirth.…”

Section: Diverse Exogenous Factors Influence Pre-fertilization Embryo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-birth acquisition of personhood: Incremental accrual of attributes as the framework for individualization by serial and concurrently acting developmental factors

Hughes

2023

Front. Reprod. Health

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Discrete events and processes influence development of individual humans. Attribution of personhood to any individual human being cannot be disconnected from the underlying biological events and processes of early human development. Nonetheless, the philosophical, sociological and legal components that are integral to the meaning of the term as commonly used cannot be deduced from biology alone. The challenge for biomedical scientists to inform discussion in this arena then rests on profiling the key biological events and processes that must be assessed when considering how one might objectively reason about the task of superimposing the concept of personhood onto the developing biological entity of a potential human being. Endogenous genetic and epigenetic events and exogenous developmental milieu processes diversify developmental trajectories of potential individual humans prior to livebirth. First, fertilization and epigenetic resetting of each individual's organismic clock to time zero (t = 0) at the gastrulation/primitive streak stage (day 15 of embryogenesis), are two discrete unseen biological events that impact a potential individual human's attributes. Second, those two discrete unseen biological events are immersed in the continuous developmental process spanning pre-fertilization and gestation, further driving individualization of diverse attributes of each future human before the third discrete and blatant biological event of parturition and livebirth. Exposures of the gravida to multiple diverse exogenous exposures means that morphogenesis and physiogenesis of every embryo/fetus has individualized attributes for its future human lifespan. Our proposed framework based on the biological discrete events and processes spanning pre-fertilization and prenatal development, implies that personhood should be incrementally attributed, and societal protections should be graduated and applied progressively across the pre-birth timespan.

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Section: Diverse Exogenous Factors Influence Pre-fertilization Embryo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-birth acquisition of personhood: Incremental accrual of attributes as the framework for individualization by serial and concurrently acting developmental factors

Hughes

2023

Front. Reprod. Health

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“…Some of the most important mechanisms of action that have been include inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption, and each of these in turn has been linked to PTB. A large body of literature is devoted to this research (2-4), and, importantly, there have been recent efforts to identify the relevant biological mechanisms underlying these relationships in epidemiologic studies. By measuring biomarkers of mechanism, assessing windows of vulnerability to exposure, and examining associations with PTB phenotypes, research on environmental chemicals and PTB has advanced significantly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Chemicals and Preterm Birth: Biological Mechanisms and the State of the Science

2017

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Purpose of review Preterm birth is a significant worldwide health problem of uncertain origins. The extant body of literature examining environmental contaminant exposures in relation to preterm birth is extensive but results remain ambiguous for most organic pollutants, metals and metalloids, and air pollutants. In the present review we examine recent epidemiologic studies investigating these associations, and identify recent advances and the state of the science. Additionally, we highlight biological mechanisms of action in the pathway between chemical exposures and preterm birth, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption, that deserve more attention in this context. Recent findings Important advances have been made in the study of the environment and preterm birth, particularly in regard to exposure assessment methods, exploration of effect modification by co-morbidities and exposures, and in identification of windows of vulnerability during gestation. There is strong evidence for an association between maternal exposure to some persistent pesticides, lead, and fine particulate matter, but data on other contaminants is sparse and only suggestive trends can be noted with the current data. Summary Beyond replicating current findings, further work must be done to improve understanding of mechanisms underlying the associations observed between environmental chemical exposures and preterm birth. By examining windows of vulnerability, disaggregating preterm birth by phenotypes, and measuring biomarkers of mechanistic pathways in these epidemiologic studies we can improve our ability to detect associations with exposure, provide additional evidence for causality in an observational setting, and identify opportunities for intervention.

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The Opportunity to Translate Developmental Toxicology into a Therapeutic Discipline

Cited by 2 publications

References 82 publications

Pre-birth acquisition of personhood: Incremental accrual of attributes as the framework for individualization by serial and concurrently acting developmental factors

Pre-birth acquisition of personhood: Incremental accrual of attributes as the framework for individualization by serial and concurrently acting developmental factors

Environmental Chemicals and Preterm Birth: Biological Mechanisms and the State of the Science

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