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Environmental genotoxins in children and adults: Concluding remarks
Mutation Research 608 (2006) 169–170
Commentary
Environmental genotoxins in children and adults: Concluding remarks This Special Issue presented key papers from an ECETOC-EEMS workshop and an ECNIS-EEMS symposium, both held at Kos, Greece on 5 July 2005. Since the workshop and symposium concerned the role environmental genotoxins (in children and adults, respectively), there was merit in combining the papers from either event into one publication. The following remarks may help to summarise the current outlook. Genotoxic chemicals have been shown to induce health disorders in humans including cancer. In the case of children, certain diseases seem to be increasing while others are not. There is some evidence of increased rates of asthma and other atopic disorders (e.g. food allergies), while increases in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism appear not to be justified by the current database. In childhood cancer in the developed countries, a gradual increase in leukaemia with a corresponding drop in the incidence of lymphomas can be observed. Secondary cancers following chemotherapy also appear to be increasing. Depending on the chemical nature and exposure conditions, children may be more sensitive, less sensitive, or equally sensitive to changes in health status as adults. Exposure of children may be higher compared to adults, depending on their behaviour and stage of development. The overall effect of these variations in both susceptibility and exposure may create specific time frames of elevated vulnerability. Thus prospective cohort studies like those reported under the EU ChildrenGenoNetwork should give more insight into the causal relationships of children’s carcinogenic risk. On the experimental modelling side, human placental perfusion seems to be suitable for examination of maternal–placental and placental–foetal interphases in mechanistic studies. Wider exploration and validation 1383-5718/$ – see front matter © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2006.05.008
appears to be necessary to develop this promising model further. Among the common serious children’s health disorders, cancer is the most intensively studied disease. Childhood cancer research today reflects the high priority given to assessing the extent to which childhood cancer risk is related to environmental genotoxic agents. Thus far epidemiology has not definitely pinpointed causative agents. A number of investigations is needed to address the gaps in our understanding of the role that genotoxic chemicals play in childhood cancer. These include: (i) discovery of molecular changes in childhood cancer and perinatally caused animal tumours, (ii) description of the ontogeny of metabolism and DNA-repair enzymes in humans and rodents, and (iii) analysis of male-mediated and transgenerational effects in both animals and humans. Furthermore, it seems obvious that the extent to which other environmental factors, such as nutritional effects, infectious agents and lifestyle, may contribute to cancer risk are not understood well today and need further investigation. Awni Sarrif ∗ European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals, Avenue E. Van Nieuwenhuyse 4 Box 6, 1160 Brussels, Belgium Soterios A. Kyrtopoulos National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece Konrad J. Rydzinski Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy Street, 90-950 Ł´od´z, Poland
170
Commentary / Mutation Research 608 (2006) 169–170
Helmut Bartsch German Cancer Research Center, Division of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
∗ Corresponding
author. Tel.: +32 2 663 3813/75 3600; fax: +32 2 675 3625. E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Sarrif) 13 February 2006 Available online 11 July 2006
Commentary
Environmental genotoxins in children and adults: Concluding remarks This Special Issue presented key papers from an ECETOC-EEMS workshop and an ECNIS-EEMS symposium, both held at Kos, Greece on 5 July 2005. Since the workshop and symposium concerned the role environmental genotoxins (in children and adults, respectively), there was merit in combining the papers from either event into one publication. The following remarks may help to summarise the current outlook. Genotoxic chemicals have been shown to induce health disorders in humans including cancer. In the case of children, certain diseases seem to be increasing while others are not. There is some evidence of increased rates of asthma and other atopic disorders (e.g. food allergies), while increases in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism appear not to be justified by the current database. In childhood cancer in the developed countries, a gradual increase in leukaemia with a corresponding drop in the incidence of lymphomas can be observed. Secondary cancers following chemotherapy also appear to be increasing. Depending on the chemical nature and exposure conditions, children may be more sensitive, less sensitive, or equally sensitive to changes in health status as adults. Exposure of children may be higher compared to adults, depending on their behaviour and stage of development. The overall effect of these variations in both susceptibility and exposure may create specific time frames of elevated vulnerability. Thus prospective cohort studies like those reported under the EU ChildrenGenoNetwork should give more insight into the causal relationships of children’s carcinogenic risk. On the experimental modelling side, human placental perfusion seems to be suitable for examination of maternal–placental and placental–foetal interphases in mechanistic studies. Wider exploration and validation 1383-5718/$ – see front matter © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2006.05.008
appears to be necessary to develop this promising model further. Among the common serious children’s health disorders, cancer is the most intensively studied disease. Childhood cancer research today reflects the high priority given to assessing the extent to which childhood cancer risk is related to environmental genotoxic agents. Thus far epidemiology has not definitely pinpointed causative agents. A number of investigations is needed to address the gaps in our understanding of the role that genotoxic chemicals play in childhood cancer. These include: (i) discovery of molecular changes in childhood cancer and perinatally caused animal tumours, (ii) description of the ontogeny of metabolism and DNA-repair enzymes in humans and rodents, and (iii) analysis of male-mediated and transgenerational effects in both animals and humans. Furthermore, it seems obvious that the extent to which other environmental factors, such as nutritional effects, infectious agents and lifestyle, may contribute to cancer risk are not understood well today and need further investigation. Awni Sarrif ∗ European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals, Avenue E. Van Nieuwenhuyse 4 Box 6, 1160 Brussels, Belgium Soterios A. Kyrtopoulos National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece Konrad J. Rydzinski Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy Street, 90-950 Ł´od´z, Poland
170
Commentary / Mutation Research 608 (2006) 169–170
Helmut Bartsch German Cancer Research Center, Division of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
∗ Corresponding
author. Tel.: +32 2 663 3813/75 3600; fax: +32 2 675 3625. E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Sarrif) 13 February 2006 Available online 11 July 2006