HYPIEND partner, Dra. Dorota Komar, from Eurecat held a talk about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) at the XXXIII Congress of the Spanish Nutrition Society (SEÑ) that took place in Granada, Spain, on 19-21 June, 2024. The HYPIEND project was introduced as one of the ongoing European research projects on understanding and minimizing EDCs effects.
The presentation, titled “Epigenetics for the study of the effects of endocrine disruptors”, focused on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory which hypothesizes that environmental exposures during early life —particularly the in-utero period— can permanently influence health and vulnerability to disease in later life.
Epigenetic programing is one of the main mechanisms defining the response to those exposures, and endocrine disruptors have been defined as epigenotoxicants, affecting epigenetic patterning and body functioning. The HYPIEND project investigates the effects of multiple endocrine disrupting chemicals exposure on the function and epigenetic programming of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary (HP) axis. The main goal is to delineate interventional strategies for minimizing its exposure and consequences on the neuroendocrine system during the perinatal and pre-pubertal stages.
Eurecat oversees the coordination of the project through its Nutrition & Health and Omics Technology Units, bringing high-level and scientific infrastructure equipped with leading tools and technologies in the fields of metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics to carry out a preclinical study on the effects of endocrine disruptors. In addition, Eurecat will provide its expertise in the development of behavioural change digital tools, as well as project management and communication activities.
The XXXIII Congress of the Spanish Nutrition Society (SEÑ) focuses on “Active Nutrition”, portraying Nutrition in a holistic way and healthy lifestyle patterns as a whole. The scientific program also includes other current topics, in areas such as nutrition methodology and tools, food safety and labeling, sustainability in food and clinical nutrition.
