National Academies advisory: genes and toxic chemicalsOctober 05, 2007Research is increasingly revealing how toxic chemicals disrupt gene activity and other cell processes in ways that lead to health problems -- and why some individuals are particularly vulnerable. For example, studies suggest that genetic variations make some people more likely to experience side effects from certain medications, such as some cancer treatments and blood thinners. How can this type of research -- known as toxicogenomic research-- best be applied to protect public health, and that of individuals? APPLICATIONS OF TOXICOGENOMIC TECHNOLOGIES TO PREDICTIVE TOXICOLOGY AND RISK ASSESSMENT, a new report from the National Research Council, examines future applications and benefits of this research, and recommends ways government agencies and others can move the field forward. It also explores the ethical and social issues raised by toxicogenomic methods -- such as how to protect the privacy of individuals' genetic information. The National Academies | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Toxic Chemicals Current Events and Toxic Chemicals News Articles New study examines effects of Graniteville, S.C., chlorine gas disaster A new study examining the aftereffects of a chlorine gas disaster in a South Carolina town gives larger metropolitan areas important insight into what to expect and how to prepare emergency response systems for an accidental or terrorist release of the potentially deadly gas. The study is now available in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. First trimester smoking linked to oral clefts Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy is clearly linked with an increased risk of cleft lip in newborns. Gulf War research panel finds 1 in 4 veterans suffers from illness caused by toxic exposure At least one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War illness, a condition caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas, and no effective treatments have yet been found, a federal panel of scientific experts and veterans concludes in a landmark report released Monday. Clemson researchers advance nano-scale electromechanical sensors Clemson physics professor Apparao Rao and his team are researching nano-scale cantilevers that have the potential to read and alert us to toxic chemicals or gases in the air. Put them into a small handheld device and the potential is there for real-time chemical alerts in battle, in industry, in health care and even at home. The miseries of allergies just may help prevent some cancers, study finds There may be a silver -- and healthy -- lining to the miserable cloud of allergy symptoms: Sneezing, coughing, tearing and itching just may help prevent cancer -- particularly colon, skin, bladder, mouth, throat, uterus and cervix, lung and gastrointestinal tract cancer, according to a new Cornell study. Deep sea expedition sets sail Setting sail on the Pacific, a University of Delaware-led research team has embarked on an extreme adventure that will find several of its members plunging deep into the sea to study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. A card-swipe for medical tests University of Utah scientists successfully created a sensitive prototype device that could test for dozens or even hundreds of diseases simultaneously by acting like a credit card-swipe machine to scan a card loaded with microscopic blood, saliva or urine samples. Methylmercury warning Recent studies hint that exposure to the toxic chemicals, such as methylmercury can cause harm at levels previously considered safe. Disinfectants can make bacteria resistant to treatment Chemicals used in the environment to kill bacteria could be making them stronger, according to a paper published in the October issue of the journal Microbiology. Low levels of these chemicals, called biocides, can make the potentially lethal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus remove toxic chemicals from the cell even more efficiently, potentially making it resistant to being killed by some antibiotics. Scientists unmask key HIV protein, open door for more powerful AIDS drugs University of Michigan scientists have provided the most detailed picture yet of a key HIV accessory protein that foils the body's normal immune response. More Toxic Chemicals Current Events and Toxic Chemicals News Articles |
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