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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
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Author Spotlight: In Vivo Assessment of Thyroid Hormone Disruption Using the THAI Mouse Model
Published on: October 6, 2023
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Exploring thyroid development and function: A systems biology search for new chemical disruptor targets
Jamilli Zenzeluk1, Jeane Maria de Oliveira1, Ana Carolina Sater1
1Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Reproductive Toxicology, State University of the Midwest (UNICENTRO), Alameda Élio Antonio Dalla Vecchia, n° 838, 85040-167, PR, Brazil.
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
|July 4, 2025
Summary
Human exposure to chemical contaminants is linked to thyroid disorders. This study identified 195 chemicals that may harm thyroid development and function, highlighting early life as a critical vulnerability period.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Global chemical exposure is a growing health concern, with emerging contaminants linked to increased disease incidence.
- Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and packaging chemicals can disrupt thyroid development and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify biological processes and gene/protein interactions affected by chemical substances in human thyroid tissue.
- To investigate the impact of chemical exposure on both embryonic and adult thyroid development and function.
Main Methods:
- Systems biology approaches were used to analyze human thyroid transcriptome data from embryonic and adult stages.
- Identification of highly upregulated and downregulated genes to pinpoint key biological pathways.
Main Results:
- Discovered new gene/protein-chemical interactions associated with thyroid gland and HPT axis toxicity.
- Identified 195 distinct chemical substances potentially interacting with thyroid proteins and causing toxicity.
- Highlighted the embryonic developmental period as a critical window for chemical exposure vulnerability.
Conclusions:
- Chemicals pose significant risks to thyroid development and programming, especially during critical developmental windows.
- New targets for emerging chemical threats to adult thyroid function were identified.
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