Christine McCullum-Gomez: Intergenerational Effects of Toxic Exposure on Health Uncovered
Christine McCullum-Gomez, Researcher, Consultant, Speaker, Writer at Sustainable RDN, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (February 17, 2026)
A single exposure to a toxic fungicide during pregnancy can increase the risk of disease for 20 subsequent generations — with inherited health problems worsening many generations after exposure.
Those are the findings of a new Washington State University study of rats that expands the understanding of how long the intergenerational effects of toxic exposure may last, as they are passed down through alterations in reproductive cells.
The study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was co-authored by WSU biologist Michael Skinner, who has been studying this ‘epigenetic transgenerational inheritance’ of disease for two decades.
The research has implications for deciphering rising disease rates among humans, Skinner said, suggesting that the reason someone has cancer today may be rooted in an ancestor’s exposure to toxins decades earlier. On the other hand, epigenetics research has also unearthed potential treatments by identifying measurable biomarkers for diseases that could eventually spur preventative treatments.
‘This study really does say that this is not going to go away,’ said Skinner, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences and founding director of the Center for Reproductive Biology. ‘We need to do something about it. We can use epigenetics to move us away from reactionary medicine and toward preventative medicine.’ ”
Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.
-
Oct 11, 2025, 06:44The Global IVF Market Is Set to Reach $65B by 2032 – Meddilink
-
Mar 12, 2026, 14:29Fahima Hussain: When Reproductive Trauma Goes Unspoken
-
Mar 12, 2026, 12:56Vinnie Arvin Amir: New AI Study Explores Immune Factors in Pregnancy Loss
-
Mar 12, 2026, 12:53Deep Learning Bridges the Diagnostic Gap in Chronic Endometritis – Medicina MDPI
-
Mar 12, 2026, 12:49Explore the ASRM CELL Training Lab – ASRM
-
Mar 12, 2026, 02:28Anthony Griffiths to Discuss Multidisciplinary Approaches to Endometriosis Care – BSGI
-
Mar 11, 2026, 12:36Christopher Robinson: B-Lynch Uterine Compression Technique Discussed in AJOG Expert Review
-
Mar 11, 2026, 09:55Abstract Deadline and Early Registration Approaching for ESHRE Embryology 2026 – ESHRE
-
Mar 11, 2026, 08:57How Hyaluronic Acid Medium Improves Live Birth Rate? – RBMO
-
Mar 11, 2026, 08:46PCOS and Higher BMI Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – Fertility and Sterility