Environmental pollution is known to harm reproductive, nervous, and respiratory systems across generations. Now, new research links it to lasting immune system damage.
Persistent environmental pollutants like dioxins impair the immune system over multiple generations. This finding comes from Paige Lawrence, Professor of Immunology and Toxicology at the University of Rochester Medical Center (USA). She detailed her team's work in an October 2, 2019, press release and the journal iScience.
Researchers exposed pregnant mice to dioxins—toxic, persistent organic pollutants used in pesticides, paper production, waste incineration, and even generated by natural events like volcanic eruptions or forest fires. These chemicals can also contaminate food supplies.
The study showed dioxins weaken white blood cells that defend against pathogens, confirmed by exposure to influenza A virus. Alarmingly, if a pregnant mouse exhibited a weakened immune response, so did her offspring—across four subsequent generations. Dioxins bind to the AHR protein, altering gene transcription and passing these changes epigenetically to descendants.
This is the first study establishing this link, pending further confirmation. It could shed light on human immune variations, such as why vaccines perform differently among individuals, positioning pollution as a potential cause of lifelong immune deficiencies.
Related Articles:
