Thursday, April 18, 2013
ACHRI Scientists Receive $1.3 Million from NIH to Study How Pollutant Affects Children's Developing Immune systems. This is according to the press release below.
The National Institutes of Health have awarded
two Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) scientists $1.3 million
to examine how children's developing immune systems are affected by a pollutant that
has been common in American water systems for decades.
Kathleen Gilbert, PhD, and Sarah Blossom, PhD, have received the four-year grant to
study how chronic low exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) during prenatal, infant
and childhood development may contribute to autoimmune diseases like diabetes, lupus
and autoimmune hepatitis later in life.
TCE is an industrial solvent accidentally introduced to water supplies decades ago
through improper disposal. It is still present in many sources of ground water, some
of which are used for drinking in the United States. Studies have shown that TCE can
be detected in as much as 10 percent of the American population that is not exposed
to TCE in the workplace.
The team has proven the link between TCE and autoimmune disease in the past. NIH has
previously funded Dr. Gilbert's work exploring the effects of TCE on adults and how
continuous exposure at higher levels triggered autoimmune responses. NIH also
supported Dr. Blossom's research into developmental windows of low-level exposure to
TCE during gestation and infancy.
"Our new research will really focus on how this chemical is programming the immune
systems of our children," said Gilbert, who is also a professor of Microbiology and
Immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of
Medicine. "Levels of TCE that in adults may not be dangerous may still cause disease
in children, at least at some point in their lives."
Gilbert and Blossom, an assistant professor of Pediatrics in the UAMS College of
Medicine, hope that the research will provide more information on how to counteract
biological changes that TCE exposure causes.
"If exposure can't be prevented, at least maybe we can try and reverse the effects,"
Blossom said. "We hope to find that there are dietary and nutritional interventions
that can block this."
Preliminary studies to support this project were funded in part by the Arkansas
Biosciences Institute, the major research component of the Tobacco Settlement
Processed Act of 2000.
Arkansas Children's Hospital is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and
one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21. Over
the past century, ACH has grown to span 29 city blocks and house 316 beds, a staff
of approximately 500 physicians, 80 residents in pediatrics and pediatric
specialties and more than 4,000 employees. The private, nonprofit healthcare
facility boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and
intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward-thinking medical
research - all dedicated to fulfilling our mission of enhancing, sustaining and
restoring children's health and development. For more information, visit
www.archildrens.org<http://www.archildrens.org>.
ACHRI provides a research environment on the ACH campus to meet the needs of the
UAMS faculty. Research scientists at ACHRI conduct clinical, basic science, and
health services research for the purpose of treating illnesses, preventing disease
and improving the health of children everywhere.
UAMS is the state's only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of
Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate
school; a hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes:
the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine &
Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey
& Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W.
Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. Named best
Little Rock metropolitan area hospital by U.S. News & World Report, it is the only
adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has more than 2,800 students and 790
medical residents. It is the state's largest public employer with more than 10,000
employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care
to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS
regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu<http://www.uams.edu/> or
www.uamshealth.com<http://www.uamshealth.com/>. Source Arkansas Children's Hospital.
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