The ENDOMIX project: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how real-life chemical mixtures target the immune system to trigger disease
File(s)
Author(s)
Zenclussen, Ana Claudia
Belmar Erilkin, Valentina
Böhmert, Linda
Borilova Linhartova, Petra
Braeuning, Albert
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The true impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on human health is far from being understood. Humans are exposed to mixtures of chemicals throughout their lives, yet regulations and most studies focus on individual chemicals. ENDOMIX takes a novel approach to identifying associations and causality between EDCs and adverse health outcomes by focusing on exposure to mixtures of EDCs over the life course, including windows of susceptibility, using human biomonitoring data from several European cohorts. We will model and measure how real-life EDC mixtures act together and target the immune system to initiate, trigger or maintain disease. Health effects will be investigated using pioneering methodologies ranging from high-throughput in vitro bioassays, sophisticated organoid and co-culture systems, to in vivo models. In combination, they will provide valuable information on mechanistic pathways and transgenerational effects of EDC exposure. We aim to identify biomarkers and patterns of chemical exposures that are easy to measure, available for large cohorts and indicative for adverse health outcomes. We will use in vitro, in silico and in vivo data to strengthen causal inference using a weight-of-evidence approach. Moreover, using novel text mining methods, we will create knowledge graphs to capture and summarize the complexity of biomechanistic information, which aids rapid risk assessments and the creation of network models. The knowledge generated by ENDOMIX will provide an evidence base for policy-making and also reach people of all ages to raise awareness of the risks of EDC exposure and encourage health-promoting behaviors.
Date Issued
2025-11-21
Date Acceptance
2025-12-01
Citation
Open Research Europe, 2025, 4
ISSN
2732-5121
Publisher
F1000 Research Ltd
Journal / Book Title
Open Research Europe
Volume
4
Copyright Statement
© 2025 Zenclussen AC et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41346426
Subjects
EDC exposure
chemical mixtures
endocrine disrupting chemicals
immune system
interdisciplinary approach
long-term health effects
science to policy translation
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Belgium
Article Number
271
Date Publish Online
2025-11-21