The developmental basis of disease: Update on environmental exposures and animal models

At the Prenatal Programming and Toxicity (PPTox) Conference I in 2008, I presented an overview of the developmental origins of health and disease field focusing on environmental chemical exposures and disease outcomes. At that time, I noted that the field was getting off the ground with a focus on developmental exposure to a small number of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and disease outcomes across the lifespan in animal models. In this update, I note that the DOHaD field has changed significantly over the last decade. There are new windows of susceptibility including preconception, prepuberty, a focus on the mother and not just the offspring, and a significant focus on the new field of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. New disease focus areas have sprung up including obesity, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease, all with a connection to developmental exposures to EDCs. There is also a focus on the study of new EDCs, molecular mechanisms, the development of new biomarkers of exposure and disease outcomes and studies focusing on intervention and prevention studies.