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SUMMARY:The Environment and the Developing Brain: A Complex and Continuing
  Conversation - Stephen G. Matthews\, Canada Research Chair in Early Devel
 opment and Health\, Depts Physiology\, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medi
 cine\, University of Toronto\, and the Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Instit
 ute\, Sinai Health System\, Toronto\, Canada
DTSTART:20241128T160000Z
DTEND:20241128T170000Z
UID:TALK223537@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:125275
DESCRIPTION:The developing brain is extremely sensitive to the environment
 \, and is responsive to endocrine\, nutritional and chemical cues. However
 \, the fetal brain is also protected from factors present in the fetal and
  maternal circulation\, by transporters at the blood-brain barrier and the
  placenta. As such\, there are mechanisms in place that can regulate fetal
  brain exposure to both endogenous (hormones\, nutrients) and exogenous fa
 ctors (xenobiotics). My laboratory has been focused on understanding how t
 he brain responds to certain endocrine cues\, as well as how the protectiv
 e transporters are regulated across gestation using both animal models and
  human tissues. Transporter function becomes critically important in babie
 s that are born preterm and who are often exposed to drugs and other facto
 rs that can cross into the brain leading to neurotoxicity. Glucocorticoids
  (GC) are critical for normal brain development and are maintained at low 
 levels in the fetus. However\, GCs increase exponentially in late gestatio
 n\, providing a critical trigger for lung and brain development. Maternal 
 or fetal stress or maternal treatment with synthetic GCs can lead to incre
 ased fetal brain exposure to GC earlier in gestation. The latter occurs in
  cases of threatened preterm birth (>10% of all pregnancies). We have show
 n that premature exposure of the fetal brain to GC can lead to profound ch
 anges in the epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes in various brain re
 gions critical to the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) a
 nd stress-related behaviours. Furthermore\, these effects can manifest acr
 oss multiple generations. Our recent studies have also shown that GC expos
 ure can lead to acute and long-term alterations in transporter function at
  the placenta and BBB. Our findings have significant implications for clin
 ical practice\, but also our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms b
 y which the fetal endocrine environment impact the developing brain leadin
 g to life-long modification of endocrine function\, behaviours and ongoing
  brain protection.\n\n\nOur work is supported by the Canadian Institutes o
 f Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council 
 (NSERC).
LOCATION:Hodgkin Huxley Seminar Room\, Physiology builiding\, Downing Site
  CB2 3EG
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