About this Research Topic

Background

Endocrine disruptors or endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals, natural or man-made, that interfere with endocrine function. These disruptors can be found in various environmental pollutants and everyday products. Understanding the impact of these chemicals on our health is crucial, especially when considering the widespread exposure that most people experience in their daily lives. Assessing the effects on public health can be complex due to the simultaneous presence of multiple disruptors affecting human beings.

Many EDCs are recognized as “environmental obesogens”, capable of interfering with normal endocrine regulation of metabolism, adipose tissue development and maintenance, appetite, weight and energy. An expanding body of scientific evidence from animal and epidemiological studies has begun to provide links between exposure to EDCs and obesity with or without metabolic disease.

This collection aims to present the advances and new findings related to endocrine disrupting chemicals in the field of Obesity. These impacts can arise from prolonged exposure throughout one's lifetime or during specific critical stages of development, such as early development or pregnancy. Since the regulation of endocrine function relies on precise hormonal balance, even minor quantities of endocrine disruptors can lead to notable effects or impairments on metabolism regulation, energy balance and lipid accumulation.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals that are commonly used in everyday products and have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system include: pesticides, BPA in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins; Dioxins; PFAS in some textile coatings and cookware; phthalates to make food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances, children’s toys, and medical devices; and PBDE in the flame-retardant treatment of furniture and carpet. Endocrine disruptors can enter our bodies through various routes, including our diet, the air we breathe, water, and even through direct contact with our skin.

We welcome original research, reviews, and other accepted article types. Submissions can encompass a wide range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

• Novel signaling pathways for endocrine disruptors in obesity;

• Results of general exposure to environmental obesogens;

• Results of exposure to obesity disruptors during critical windows of development;

• Results of exposure to disruptors in patients with metabolic syndrome associated with obesity;

• Mechanism of action of endocrines disruptors in the pathogenesis of obesity;

• Role of obesogens on epigenetic modifications;

• Detection methods for exposure to obesity disruptors;

• Clinical guidance relating to these types of exposures;

• Development of models to evaluate or identify obesity disruptors;

• Epidemiological studies correlating obesity and metabolic diseases with exposure to endocrine disruptors and environmental obesogens.

Keywords: adipogenesis, endocrine disruptors, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, obesogen, persistent organic pollutants

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