Exposure to PFAS — a class of synthetic chemicals utilized in food wrappers, nonstick cookware and other products — reprograms the metabolism of benign and malignant human prostate cells to a more energy efficient state that enables the cells to proliferate at three times the rate of nonexposed cells, a new study in mice found.
However, consuming a high-fat diet significantly accelerated development of tumors in the PFAS-exposed mice, said the scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the U. of I. Chicago who conducted the research. PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often described as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally and persist as environmental pollutants. Studies have associated PFAS with harmful effects in laboratory animals.
“Our data suggest that exposure to PFAS synergizes with dietary fat to…
