Body of knowledge

In the largest study of its kind, researchers at UC Davis Health found that exposure to organophosphate ester (OPEs) flame retardants during pregnancy was associated with preterm birth, especially among females. OPEs are widely used in foams found in furniture, baby products, electronics, textiles and building materials to prevent fires and make plastics more flexible. Individuals are exposed to OPEs through their skin or when they ingest or inhale indoor dust. The major new research study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

In a study published in Communications Biology, researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine and the UC Davis MIND Institute showed that imbalances in folic acid, a necessary nutrient taken by pregnant people to prevent neural tube defects, and vitamin B12 can alter brain development in mice. The researchers wanted to explore whether there is a possible link between increases in neurodevelopmental conditions, like autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and excessive folic acid. In ongoing work, the team is also investigating the effects of folic acid and B12 in human brain organoids. This research may provide better insights into how these nutrients affect human biology.

Researchers from the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center identified a crucial protein section on a specific “death receptor,” CD 95 or Fas, that can cause cells to die. This ability to trigger programmed cell death could lead to improved cancer treatments. Developing drugs that boost death receptor activity could provide an important weapon against tumors. Though drug companies have had some success targeting another type of death receptor, no “Fas antagonist” drugs have made it into clinical trials. These findings, published in the Nature journal Cell Death & Differentiation, could potentially change that.

People with personality traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion and positive affect are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with neuroticism and negative affect, according to an analysis by researchers at UC Davis and Northwestern University. The difference was not linked to physical damage to brain tissue found in dementia patients, but more likely to how certain personality traits help people navigate dementia-related impairments. The work, supported by the National Institute on Aging, was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

A study from UC Davis Health and Oregon Health & Science University found that people living with dementia from minoritized racial and ethnic populations are less likely to receive an accurate and timely dementia diagnosis compared to non-Hispanic whites, are less likely to be prescribed anti-dementia medication or use hospice care, have a higher risk of hospitalization, and receive more aggressive life-sustaining treatment in end-of-life care. The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association and was supported by the National Institute on Aging.