SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Children and Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1651916
The Role of Cytochrome P450 Genetic Variants in Pesticide Metabolism and the Risk of Child Neurodevelopment: A systematic Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS), Bugando, Tanzania
- 2Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
- 3Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Abstract. Introduction: Child neurodevelopment is influenced by genetic variants in cytochrome P450 enzymes, which affect detoxification and oxidative stress pathways. These variations modulate susceptibility to environmental toxins, influencing brain development through gene-environment interactions that impact neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and inflammation, potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders. This review has a major question to answer on how do CYP450 gene polymorphisms modulate pesticide metabolism and contribute to neurodevelopmental risks in children? Method: The study has been conducted according to PRISMA whereby it includes studies conducted from 2005 to 2025. The study has been registered to PROSPERO with the number PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024617478. It employs PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and African Journals Online (AJOL) as databases. Additional sources such as Open Grey, institutional repositories, and conference proceedings where targeted search strategies, robust inclusion criteria, were employed in study selection and final review to analyze gene-environment interactions and developmental outcomes. Results: A total of 758 studies were identified through database searches and manual reference checks. After eliminating studies due to various factors, 176 eligible studies were selected by reviewing the titles and abstracts. Finally, a total of nine (9) articles were included in this systematic review. The review identified CYP3A4 as the most polymorphic gene, followed by CYP2C9, CYP2B6, and CYP1A2, all involved in pesticide metabolism, particularly organophosphates like chlorpyrifos. Evidence from nine studies suggests that CYP450 polymorphisms influence pesticide detoxification capacity, increasing neurodevelopmental risks in exposed children. These findings highlight the importance of genetic risk assessment in public health strategies targeting pesticide-exposed populations. Conclusion: This review highlights the role of CYP450 gene polymorphisms in increasing susceptibility to pesticide-related neurotoxicity, especially in children and agricultural workers, emphasizing the need for genetically based risk assessment in public health strategies.
Keywords: neurodevelopment, Cytochrome P450 Variants, pesticide exposure, Children, cognitive and motor development
Received: 22 Jun 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chilipweli, Kidenya, Nyanza, Ngowi and Manji. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Peter M Chilipweli, chilipwelipeter64@gmail.com
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