Environmental challenges, such as air pollution, climate change, and built environment, are closely associated with the development of modern human common diseases. In particular, epidemiological and animal model studies have consistently linked air pollutants primarily derived from stationary and traffic-related combustion sources, such as PM2.5, benzene, and ozone, to the increase of mortality and morbidity associated with metabolic disease. Airborne particulate matters in fine or ultrafine ranges exhibit an incremental capacity to possibly penetrate the most distal airway units and enter the systemic circulation. They engage in the pathogenesis of air pollution-associated systemic diseases possibly through exaggerating systemic inflammation, causing intracellular stress responses, and disrupting energy homeostasis. In recent years, intensive research efforts have been imposed on and significant progress has been made in the understanding of the effects and mechanisms by which airborne particulate matters contribute to the initiation and progression of metabolic disease. For these reasons, environmental stressors and metabolic disease are timely and necessary topics of discussion for the biomedical and public health research communities.
The important topics in this area include but not limited to:
1) Adverse health effects of airborne particulate matters (such as PM2.5 and PM10) and volatile organic compounds (such as benzene) on predisposition to metabolic disease.
2) Mechanistic basis underlying environmental stressors-caused cellular stress response and inflammation.
3) Mechanistic links between environmental stressors and metabolic dysregulation.
4) Interactions between genetic and environmental factors in metabolic disease.
5) Effect of environmental stressors on feeding behavior.
6) Hormonal and sex-differential responses to environmental stressors.
7) Impact of environmental stressors in the structure, function, and regulation as well as evolutionary aspects of the endocrine system.
8) Interactive effects of air pollutants and climate change on metabolic syndrome.
Environmental challenges, such as air pollution, climate change, and built environment, are closely associated with the development of modern human common diseases. In particular, epidemiological and animal model studies have consistently linked air pollutants primarily derived from stationary and traffic-related combustion sources, such as PM2.5, benzene, and ozone, to the increase of mortality and morbidity associated with metabolic disease. Airborne particulate matters in fine or ultrafine ranges exhibit an incremental capacity to possibly penetrate the most distal airway units and enter the systemic circulation. They engage in the pathogenesis of air pollution-associated systemic diseases possibly through exaggerating systemic inflammation, causing intracellular stress responses, and disrupting energy homeostasis. In recent years, intensive research efforts have been imposed on and significant progress has been made in the understanding of the effects and mechanisms by which airborne particulate matters contribute to the initiation and progression of metabolic disease. For these reasons, environmental stressors and metabolic disease are timely and necessary topics of discussion for the biomedical and public health research communities.
The important topics in this area include but not limited to:
1) Adverse health effects of airborne particulate matters (such as PM2.5 and PM10) and volatile organic compounds (such as benzene) on predisposition to metabolic disease.
2) Mechanistic basis underlying environmental stressors-caused cellular stress response and inflammation.
3) Mechanistic links between environmental stressors and metabolic dysregulation.
4) Interactions between genetic and environmental factors in metabolic disease.
5) Effect of environmental stressors on feeding behavior.
6) Hormonal and sex-differential responses to environmental stressors.
7) Impact of environmental stressors in the structure, function, and regulation as well as evolutionary aspects of the endocrine system.
8) Interactive effects of air pollutants and climate change on metabolic syndrome.
