Understanding PFAS toxicity through cell culture metabolomics: Current applications and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread environmental contaminants with known risks to ecosystems and human health.
• New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) like cell cultures are increasingly used in ecotoxicity research.
• Metabolomics analyzes small molecules to understand cellular functions and responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of cell culture metabolomics in investigating PFAS toxicity.
• To highlight key findings on metabolic pathway alterations and biomarker identification.
• To discuss current methods and future perspectives for studying environmental contaminants.

Main Methods:

• Integration of metabolomics with cell cultures (cell culture metabolomics).
• Review of recent studies on PFAS exposure using in vitro models.
• Discussion of various cell culture types and metabolomics techniques.

Main Results:

• Cell culture metabolomics effectively reveals molecular responses to PFAS exposure.
• Identified alterations in metabolic pathways and potential biomarkers of PFAS toxicity.
• Demonstrated the utility of in vitro methods in reducing animal testing.

Conclusions:

• Cell culture metabolomics is a robust tool for understanding PFAS-induced cellular responses.
• Future research integrating metabolomics with advanced technologies like single-cell metabolomics and multi-omics will provide holistic insights.
• This approach supports the development of strategies to mitigate adverse health effects of PFAS.