The ontogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS) is a complex and protracted process that is sensitive to the action of various chemical substances and other factors. While genetic factors may contribute to the etiology of chronic diseases, the environment emerges as an important source of stressors that can perturb the CNS development, increasing the risk of brain dysfunction after birth. Major advances have been made in uncovering the mechanisms driving the development of a fully functional brain from a limited pool of neural progenitors, such as the conversion in vitro of human IPS cells to mini brain organoids, and the characterization of the gene regulatory networks driving neural differentiation. Furthermore, the integration of the exposome (the measure of all exposures impact on an individuals health through their lifetime) and the adverse outcome pathways (AOP) frameworks can help us to better understand the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and neurological disorders.
We propose to bridge molecular and individual effects in order to understand how chemicals or physical stressors may perturb CNS development, and translate into cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Modelling brain neurotoxicity requires both the mechanistic understanding of the toxic effects on key developmental steps and a good characterization of the exposures to environmental stressors. Assessing the effects of mixtures of stressors on early developmental defects will contribute to the reconstruction of whole life exposure as proposed in the Exposome concept. Furthermore, describing a given adverse outcome from the molecular initiating events through the successive biological scales and up to the individual effects, as proposed in the AOP framework, will be instrumental to integrate and extend our knowledge about the links between the genome, the epigenome, the environment and disease occurrence. The goal of this special issue is thus to foster interdisciplinary research in order to give a bigger picture on how stressors and toxicants disrupt brain functionalities.
Original research articles and reviews are encouraged on, but not restricted to, mechanistic studies on CNS development under normal and pathological conditions. Multilevel analysis (multi omics and analysis from molecular to phenotypes) and research on neurological disorders are also envisioned to contribute substantially to this special issue. Contributions encompassing the following fields related to CNS research will be encouraged:
- Stem cell and organoid research
- Integrative systems biology
- Toxicogenomics
- Neurodevelopment
- Molecular epidemiology
- Neuroinflammation
- DNA damage
- Biomonitoring
The ontogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS) is a complex and protracted process that is sensitive to the action of various chemical substances and other factors. While genetic factors may contribute to the etiology of chronic diseases, the environment emerges as an important source of stressors that can perturb the CNS development, increasing the risk of brain dysfunction after birth. Major advances have been made in uncovering the mechanisms driving the development of a fully functional brain from a limited pool of neural progenitors, such as the conversion in vitro of human IPS cells to mini brain organoids, and the characterization of the gene regulatory networks driving neural differentiation. Furthermore, the integration of the exposome (the measure of all exposures impact on an individuals health through their lifetime) and the adverse outcome pathways (AOP) frameworks can help us to better understand the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and neurological disorders.
We propose to bridge molecular and individual effects in order to understand how chemicals or physical stressors may perturb CNS development, and translate into cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Modelling brain neurotoxicity requires both the mechanistic understanding of the toxic effects on key developmental steps and a good characterization of the exposures to environmental stressors. Assessing the effects of mixtures of stressors on early developmental defects will contribute to the reconstruction of whole life exposure as proposed in the Exposome concept. Furthermore, describing a given adverse outcome from the molecular initiating events through the successive biological scales and up to the individual effects, as proposed in the AOP framework, will be instrumental to integrate and extend our knowledge about the links between the genome, the epigenome, the environment and disease occurrence. The goal of this special issue is thus to foster interdisciplinary research in order to give a bigger picture on how stressors and toxicants disrupt brain functionalities.
Original research articles and reviews are encouraged on, but not restricted to, mechanistic studies on CNS development under normal and pathological conditions. Multilevel analysis (multi omics and analysis from molecular to phenotypes) and research on neurological disorders are also envisioned to contribute substantially to this special issue. Contributions encompassing the following fields related to CNS research will be encouraged:
- Stem cell and organoid research
- Integrative systems biology
- Toxicogenomics
- Neurodevelopment
- Molecular epidemiology
- Neuroinflammation
- DNA damage
- Biomonitoring