Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/674404
t m c » p u l s e | m a y 2 0 1 6 35 I call it 'Whack-an-EDC,' instead of Whack-a- Mole. Every time we knock one down, one pops up a new hole that there's no evidence about, so we spend the next five years tracking down the next one. This is just insane. — CHERYL WATSON, PH.D. Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston [and] cheap to make," Watson said. "So many plastic items will have BPA in them, but they'll also have other plas- tics that have their own characteristics that are also hormone disruptive." The most popular substitute for BPA in manufacturing plastic con- sumer products and thermal paper is its cousin, Bisphenol S, another EDC in the Bisphenol family. Although BPS was once considered to be a safe alternative to BPA, Watson and her colleagues have conducted studies that show BPS causes the same hor- mone disruptions as BPA. "I call it 'Whack-an-EDC,' instead of Whack-a-Mole," Watson said. "Every time we knock one down, one pops up a new hole that there's no evidence about, so we spend the next five years tracking down the next one. This is just insane." While preterm birth is still an understudied and underfunded area, Menon, Watson and their team plan on continuing their research efforts to better understand the mechanisms and molecular pathways responsible for the link between environmental factors and inflammation in hopes of developing targeted interventions. "We haven't reduced the rate of preterm birth at a global level in 30-plus years, partly because we have a univer- sal approach in treating preterm labor," Menon said. "Manifestation of risk and risk-induced biochemical changes are different in each woman, so we really need to understand what leads to preterm labor in a given subject so that we can personalize interventions." In addition to studying BPA as it relates to preterm births, other environ- mental factors Menon and his team are investigating include carbon monoxide exposure, pesticides, flame-retardant chemicals, behavioral risk factors like smoking and alcohol abuse, and micro- bial infections, including risks like Zika virus. Although their research has not yet identified the precise cause-and- effect mechanisms behind preterm birth, Menon said knowing the full scope of the correlation between those risk factors and maternal health could hold the key to improving the quality of life for future generations. "[Maternal and child health] exag- gerates the need for this research," he said. "Society is basically formed in utero and any toxic exposures have pronounced impact in shaping an indi- vidual's future and that needs a whole lot more attention, especially when it comes to preterm labor and delivery. It means that babies may be programmed to have an adult disease at a very early stage of their life." Living Laid Back Builders: Coventry Homes • David Weekley Homes Highland Homes • Plantation Homes • Trendmaker Homes New Homes From The Low $300s PomonaLiveSmart.com Sam Houston Parkway CR 101 288 ✪ Featuring a relaxed, coastal atmosphere, this 1,000-acre community in the heart of the rapidly growing Highway 288 corridor makes it easy to live a happier, healthier lifestyle with a resort-style amenity center, miles of walking trails, sports fields and an on-site Alvin ISD elementary school. NOW OPEN! P er fect l y 8