Environment health persp: researchers have found a new mechanism to promote breast cancer

February 17, 2020 / Bio Valley / a new method to study the effects of two commonly used chemicals in cosmetics and sunscreen has found that they can damage the DNA of breast cells at low concentrations, while the same dose will not cause damage to cells without estrogen receptor The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, led by Joseph Jerry, Professor of animal science and veterinary medicine at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found a new mechanism by which estrogen and exogenous estrogen, an environmental chemical similar to estrogen, may promote the development of breast cancer Jerry also serves as the science director of Pioneer Valley's Life Sciences Institute and co director of the hope light breast cancer research center in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Baystate Medical Center Photo source: https://cn.bing.com Jerry explained: "this new study provides a more sensitive tool to screen the potential harmful effects of environmental chemicals, which may have been ignored by current methods "He noted that federal agencies, such as the food and Drug Administration (FDA), often screen for the toxicity of these chemicals in cell lines that do not have estrogen receptors The two compounds tested in lab grown cells and mouse mammary glands are ultraviolet filter benzophenone-3 (BP-3), also known as Oxybenzone, and propyl ester (PP), an antibacterial preservative found in cosmetics and other personal care products Jerry stressed that more research is needed to determine the significance of this finding for the consumer guide "Benzophenone-3 is an effective sunscreen If you use it, you can prevent skin cancer I mean, shouldn't you use sunscreen? I am not But there are also some people who may be at serious risk, "Jerry said, such as those at high risk of breast cancer or those with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer Previous studies on the effects of BP-3 and PP have focused on the amount of exposure required to activate cancer specific genes or accelerate cancer cell growth "These effects need to be more concentrated than most women are normally exposed to," Jerry said But new research shows that the DNA damage of breast cells containing estrogen receptor is only 1 / 10 to 1 / 30 of the concentration needed to stimulate proliferation or gene expression "The level of risk may be lower than what we knew before," Jerry said "Jerry and his colleagues decided to study whether PP and BP-3 have estrogen effects at concentrations associated with population exposure because" we know that estrogen promotes breast cancer, "Jerry said "Unless the cell has an estrogen receptor, it's non-toxic," he said "So it does this damage through estrogen receptors If you test it in other cells, there are no consequences "Reference: D Joseph Jerry et al Effects of benzophenone-3 and Propylparaben on estrogen receiver-dependent R-loops and DNA damage in burst epithalial cells and mice Environmental Health Perspectives (2020) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp5221