Exploring the interplay between phthalate exposure and autoimmune demyelination

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a heterogeneous class of compounds that have the capacity to interfere with the physiological activity of the endocrine system. Importantly, EDCs cannot be completely avoided or removed from the environment; thus, representing a significant public health concern. Remarkably, dysfunction in endocrine signaling also contributes to the clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination, neuroinflammation and axonal injury. We have recently added to this picture that extensive hypothalamic transcriptional changes take place in the MS model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), corroborating the prominent role of neuroendocrine deficits in CNS autoimmunity. Yet very little is known about possible mechanistic overlaps between MS neuropathology and EDC exposure. To fill this gap, we propose to employ phthalates as paradigmatic EDCs and test the novel hypothesis that developmental exposure to this class of EDCs leads to exacerbated MS pathology in adulthood.

Scholars @ ECU