New Brunswick, NJ - A new study by researchers from Rowan University School of Medicine in Stratford and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark recently showed Bisphenol-A (BPA) is linked to autism. RowanSOM's Dr. T. Peter Stein, the study's lead author, said the study -- conducted on both children with autism and children without -- shows that BPA is processed differently in children on the autism spectrum.
"There are studies that show that BPA acts as an endocrine disruptor," Stein said. "There are different kinds of steroids (hormones) in the body -- testosterone, estrogen, progestins -- that regulate metabolism. It turns out that BPA is a compound that can cause problems."
But why would children with autism have a harder time metabolizing the BPA chemical?
"BPA interferes with amino acids," Stein said. "Some amino acids serve as starting material for neurotransmitters. That could be a connection."
These findings are especially significant because earlier studies involving the effects of BPA have only involved results as recorded in animals.
"Other studies involving rodent data have shown that BPA functions as an endocrine disruptor, but ours is the first to show this in humans, and the first to associate it to autism," Stein said.
For the full article: http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2015/03/bpa_and_autism_study_by_rowan_rutgers_researchers.html
But why would children with autism have a harder time metabolizing the BPA chemical?
"BPA interferes with amino acids," Stein said. "Some amino acids serve as starting material for neurotransmitters. That could be a connection."
These findings are especially significant because earlier studies involving the effects of BPA have only involved results as recorded in animals.
"Other studies involving rodent data have shown that BPA functions as an endocrine disruptor, but ours is the first to show this in humans, and the first to associate it to autism," Stein said.
For the full article: http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2015/03/bpa_and_autism_study_by_rowan_rutgers_researchers.html
