The ‘exposome’ is a term used to describe all of the environmental exposures encountered by an individual throughout their life and how these exposures affect their health and contribute to (or protect against) aging and disease. The exposures may be physical (e.g., temperature), chemical (e.g., toxic chemicals), biological (e.g., viruses), or social (psychological trauma). In this episode I talk with University of Michigan professor of neurology Eva Feldman, about research aimed at identifying environmental factors that promote, cause, or protect against neurological disorders. Exposome research is of vital practical importance because environmental factors and aging are responsible for the most common neurological disorders.

LINKS

Dr. Feldman’s webpage

https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/mneuronet/about/eva-l-feldman-md-phd

Exposome review articles

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ana.26897

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10643494/pdf/11357_2023_Article_913.pdf

https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/pharmtox/63/1/annurev-pharmtox-051922-113350.pdf?expires=1722005819&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=97B61448008EE60ABAA4CA80EFF3D878

It turns out that regardless of which organ they affect tumors contain a web of axons coursing throughout them. Recent research has shown that interactions between the neurons and the cancer cells influence the proliferation of the cancer cells within the tumor as well as metastasis (the spread of cancer cells to other organs). In this episode I talk with University of Newcastle Professor Hubert Hondermarck about his research on interactions between neurons and cancer cells, and the roles of neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters in facilitating tumor growth. Knowledge gained from this research is leading to new pharmacological approaches to treating cancers.

LINKS

Professor Hondermarck’s webpage:

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/hubert-hondermarck

Review “The Neural Addiction of Cancers”:

https://www.proquest.com/docview/2806715386/fulltextPDF/7785F348C7744E4PQ/9?accountid=11752&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

Plants sense their environment and respond in ways consistent with advanced decision-making capabilities. The cellular mechanisms that control the behaviors of plants are similar to those of animals and include electrically excitable cells capable of transmitting information via calcium waves and volatile messengers such as nitric oxide throughout roots, shoots, and leaves. Molecular genetic studies have shown that plants have receptors for the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA, and that these neurotransmitters control many plant behaviors. Individual plants communicate with other plants, insects, fungi, and bacteria via the stimulus-dependent production and release of a myriad of chemicals. In this episode I talk with Bonn University Professor Frantisek Baluska about the behavioral repertoire of plants, the underlying cellular mechanisms, and the rationale and value of considering plants as sentient and intelligent organisms.

LINKS

Individuality and Sociality of Plants:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934911/pdf/rstb.2019.0760.pdf

Anesthetics and Plant Consciousness:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7907011/pdf/709_2020_Article_1594.pdf

Predictive Coding Model of Plant Behavior:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047902/pdf/fpsyg-07-01505.pdf

Plants Behaviors and Climate Change:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7054678/pdf/EMBR-21-e50109.pdf