• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Friday, August 1, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Up to 30% of children carry a gene variant that may increase susceptibility to methylmercury

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
July 3, 2019
in Health
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Prenatal exposure to low levels of methylmercury does not affect child cognition, but certain gene variants may increase susceptibility. These are the main conclusions of a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by “la Caixa”, in collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Bristol.

Exposure to methylmercury can impair neurodevelopment, particularly during prenatal stages. When mercury enters our oceans, lakes or rivers, it is converted to methylmercury by bacteria and accumulates in fish and shellfish. Previous studies have found that the effect of exposure to this compound may in part depend on genetic predisposition, or in other words, the expression of certain gene variants.

Indeed, in a previous study with 1127 children from the ALSPAC Cohort in Bristol, UK, a group led by ISGlobal researcher Jordi Júlvez, identified four variants (also called polymorphisms) associated with a greater effect of methylmercury on cognitive development.

In this study, Júlvez and colleagues included data from an additional 1045 children of the cohort, and explored more than 240 polymorphisms in candidate genes belonging to four major biological pathways relevant to neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity. They measured mercury concentrations in umbilical cord samples and evaluated intelligence quotient (IQ) at age eight, for all 2172 children. The analyses also adjusted for seafood diet (the main source of methylmercury but also a source of beneficial fatty acids) and maternal socioeconomic position.

The results show that the average concentration of methylmercury in cord blood was low (2.7ug/ml), likely reflecting the low frequency of fish intake by the general English population. Overall, no negative association was observed between methylmercury concentrations and IQ scores at eight years of age. However, the analyses revealed that children with polymorphisms in certain genes achieved lower IQ scores. In other words, children with these gene variants showed evidence of methylmercury toxicity that was not detectable in the cohort sample as a whole. “These findings emphasize the need to consider the impact of genetic predisposition when evaluating methylmercure toxicity,” says Julvez.

Three of these polymorphisms were newly identified while two were confirmed from the previous study by the same team. One of the validated polymorphisms concerns the receptor for progesterone, a sexual hormone that seems to have a neuroprotective effect. The gene variant identified may function poorly, thereby decreasing the protective effect of progesterone. “Importantly, around 30% of children in the general population carry this gene variant and are therefore more vulnerable to prenatal methylmercury exposure, even in low-exposure settings,” he adds. The results also reveal the need to further study the effects of the progesterone receptor variant on this and other environmental pollutants.

###

Reference

Júlvez J, Smith GD, Ring S and P Grandjean. A birth cohort study about the genetic modification of prenatal methylmercury association with child cognitive development. American Journal of Epidemiology. July 2019. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwz156

Media Contact
Marta Solano
[email protected]

Related Journal Article

https://www.isglobal.org/documents/10179/7035461/NdP+Julvez+American+Journal+Epi+eng.pdf/118cba9f-6397-48c8-80ca-c5d338c7f39f
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwz156

Tags: Environmental HealthEpidemiologyMedicine/HealthMemory/Cognitive ProcessesPediatricsPublic Health
Share12Tweet7Share2ShareShareShare1

Related Posts

Multimodal AI Predicts Thyroid Cancer Spread via Ultrasound

Multimodal AI Predicts Thyroid Cancer Spread via Ultrasound

August 1, 2025
blank

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Drivers of Drug Resistance

August 1, 2025

Technology Expert Emphasizes Continued Need for Human Touch in AI-Driven Healthcare Revolution

August 1, 2025

CCL2-CCR2 Axis Triggers ALS Neuromuscular Denervation

August 1, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • Engineered Cellular Communication Enhances CAR-T Therapy Effectiveness Against Glioblastoma

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Multimodal AI Predicts Thyroid Cancer Spread via Ultrasound

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Drivers of Drug Resistance

Technology Expert Emphasizes Continued Need for Human Touch in AI-Driven Healthcare Revolution

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.