Triclosan exposure potentiates ischemic stroke risk: Multi-omics integration and molecular docking unveil neurotoxic

Fangyuan Cheng1, Han Gao1, Bo Yan2

  • 1Department of Geriatrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Anshan Road No. 154, Tianjin 300052, China; Key Laboratory of Post-Trauma Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300052, China.

Insights

Widespread triclosan (TCS) exposure increases ischemic stroke (IS) risk. This study identifies key genes and develops a predictive model, urging regulation of TCS in products.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental toxicology
  • Neuroscience
  • Computational biology

Background:

  • Triclosan (TCS) is a common antimicrobial agent found in consumer products.
  • Ischemic stroke (IS) poses a significant global health burden.
  • The link between TCS exposure and IS pathogenesis is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically identify genes associated with triclosan exposure and ischemic stroke (IS).
  • To develop a predictive model for assessing IS risk due to TCS exposure.
  • To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of TCS-induced IS.

Main Methods:

  • Network toxicology and multimodal biological data integration.
  • Machine learning for predictive model development (e.g., SHAP analysis).
  • miRNA-TF-mRNA regulatory network construction and GeneMANIA functional prediction.
  • Molecular docking analysis to validate genetic vulnerability.

Main Results:

  • Identification of four key TCS-IS-related genes.
  • Development of a robust predictive model for TCS-associated IS risk.
  • Elucidation of regulatory networks and validation of genetic vulnerability to TCS in IS.
  • Quantifiable framework for assessing environmental toxicant risks in cerebrovascular diseases.

Conclusions:

  • Triclosan exposure is linked to increased ischemic stroke risk.
  • Urgent innovation in biocompatible materials and regulatory oversight of TCS is recommended.
  • Findings establish new paradigms for predictive toxicological modeling in environmental neurotoxicology.