Source link : https://health365.info/how-pfas-disrupt-healthy-function-in-human-liver-cells/
Credit: Environment International (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109763
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manmade chemicals that accumulate in the body over time, have been linked to liver disease and cancer, but it is not yet clear how they cause damage. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have used a lab model of the human liver to analyze changes at the cellular level, finding that some PFAS triggered fat accumulation and others caused cell damage linked to cancer.
The study is published in the journal Environment International.
The liver removes toxins from the blood, making it particularly vulnerable to PFAS, which enter the body through contaminated drinking water, food packaging and consumer products. While previous research has linked PFAS to liver problems in people and animal models, pinpointing the underlying biology has been more difficult.
In the present study, the researchers used spheroids, sophisticated 3D models that recreate the structure of the liver using cells from human donors. This approach gives a detailed view of cellular interactions and allows insights to move faster toward clinical applications.
“We developed a new framework to analyze how PFAS affect the liver on a cellular and molecular level, where we exposed human liver cells to four types of PFAS in the lab, then measured changes in gene expression and fat buildup,” said Ana Maretti-Mira, Ph.D., assistant professor of research…
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Author : admin
Publish date : 2025-09-10 20:11:00
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