CONTAMED partners Frances Orton, Erika Rosivatz, Martin Scholze and Andreas Kortenkamp (School of Pharmacy) recently published in EHP: Widely Used Pesticides with Previously Unknown Endocrine Activity Revealed as in vitro Anti-Androgens. The CONTAMED funded study shows that widely used pesticides in the EU can block the action of male sex hormones by antagonising the androgen receptor. This is of significance because the action of male sex hormones in fetal life is essential for proper male sexual development. The study highlighted the need for further systematic investigations as although pesticides are tested before they can be placed on the European market, assessments of their hormonal activity are not currently required. The study by the School of Pharmacy research team exposes this as a regulatory gap which needs to be bridged urgently.
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