Wayne State receives funding to explore intergenerational impacts of benzene exposure
Wayne State biologist Marianna Sadagurski, together with the Lempradl Laboratory at Van Andel Institute, has been awarded an NIH grant to explore the intergenerational impacts of benzene exposure.
Researchers are studying how a father's exposure to benzene, a harmful chemical found in air pollution, can affect the health of his children. Using a new mouse model to mimic this exposure, they discovered that it led to metabolic problems, like difficulty controlling blood sugar, especially in male offspring.
Scientists believe that benzene exposure triggers changes in the father's sperm, which are then passed on to the children, making them more likely to develop metabolic diseases. If a father smokes, a child will be predisposed to metabolic disease. To understand this better, the researchers plan to use advanced methods to study the effects of benzene exposure on the offspring's genes and metabolism.
Because the predisposing factors for metabolic disease are largely unknown, this new research could help us understand how environmental factors can affect our health across generations and find ways to prevent metabolic diseases in the future.