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'Omics' and endocrine-disrupting chemicals — new paths forward

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 13, pages 740–748 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

The emerging field of omics — large-scale data-rich biological measurements of the genome — provides new opportunities to advance and strengthen research into endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Although some EDCs have been associated with adverse health effects in humans, our understanding of their impact remains incomplete. Progress in the field has been primarily limited by our inability to adequately estimate and characterize exposure and identify sensitive and measurable outcomes during windows of vulnerability. Evolving omics technologies in genomics, epigenomics and mitochondriomics have the potential to generate data that enhance exposure assessment to include the exposome — the totality of the lifetime exposure burden — and provide biology-based estimates of individual risks. Applying omics technologies to expand our knowledge of individual risk and susceptibility will augment biological data in the prediction of variability and response to disease, thereby further advancing EDC research. Together, refined exposure characterization and enhanced disease-risk prediction will help to bridge crucial gaps in EDC research and create opportunities to move the field towards a new vision — precision public health.

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Figure 1: Challenges and opportunities of using omics in EDC research.
Figure 2: Role of omics in identifying molecular fingerprints in EDC research.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (NIEHS Center Grants ES000002 to C.M. and R.H., and P30ES009089 to A.A.B.; NIEHS Grants R01ES021733, R01ES021357, R21ES024841 and R21ES027087 to A.A.B., and R01ES009718 to R.H.), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK; Grant R01DK100790 to A.A.B.) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (CDC/NIOSH Training Grant T42OH008416 to R.M.M.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, Massachusetts, USA

    Carmen Messerlian & Russ Hauser

  2. Department of Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; and at the Laboratory of Precision Environmental Biosciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.,

    Rosie M. Martinez

  3. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, the Laboratory of Precision Environmental Biosciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.,

    Rosie M. Martinez

  4. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Laboratory of Precision Environmental Biosciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, 10032, New York, USA

    Andrea A. Baccarelli

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Contributions

C.M. and R.M.M. researched data for the article and made substantial contributions to discussions of the content. C.M., R.M.M. and A.A.B. wrote the article. C.M., R.M.M., R.H. and A.A.B reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission. C.M. and R.M.M. contributed equally to all aspects of the manuscript.

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PowerPoint slides

Glossary

DNA methylome

The set of methylation modifications in an organism's genome in a particular cell.

DNA methyltransferases

A family of enzymes that catalyse the transfer of a methyl group to DNA.

Epigenomics

The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not result from changes in actual gene sequences.

Exposome

An individual's lifetime exposure burden.

Gene–environment interactions

(GxEs). The biological interactions between the environment and the human genome.

Genomics

The study of an organism's genome or complete set of DNA, including all its genes.

Histone modifications

Post-translational modifications to histones — referred to as marks — that regulate gene expression.

Metabolomics

The study of the set of metabolites present within an organism, cell or tissue.

Mitochondrial membrane potential

(MMP). The total force driving protons into the mitochondria.

Mitochondriomics

The study of the properties of mitochondrial DNA.

Proteomics

The large-scale study of proteins.

Transcriptomics

The study of transcriptomes and their functions.

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Messerlian, C., Martinez, R., Hauser, R. et al. 'Omics' and endocrine-disrupting chemicals — new paths forward. Nat Rev Endocrinol 13, 740–748 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2017.81

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