Metabolic effects of exposure to potentially toxic elements in workers - a metabolomics approach applied to health technology

• Grant number: 23/04171-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Kelly Polido Kaneshiro Olympio
• Grantee: Vinícius Guimarães Ferreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTE) is a growing public health and environmental problem. Some metals can be harmful to human health even in low doses, and their health effects include kidney damage and cardiovascular, liver, neurological, reproductive, and immunological diseases. This project focuses on the metabolomic analysis of the blood of individuals exposed to PTEs (Mn, Ni, Cd, Sb, Sn, Cu, Zn, As, Cr, and Pb) to detail the association between their levels and the metabolic profile. Analytical techniques such as gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) will be used to obtain the metabolomic profiles of individuals exposed to PTEs. The population of Limeira, SP, a production center for jewelry and costume jewelry, and the population of Volta Redonda, RJ, which includes workers at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), will be studied in a total of 267 participants. The metabolic profiles of workers from both regions will be compared with participants who are not occupationally exposed, residents of the same region as the workers, but who do not work in the productive processes involving chemical exposure. The results obtained will be used to investigate potential biomarkers of exposure/effect and prediction of clinical complications before the onset of symptoms. In order to maximize the information gain related to PTE exposure, multi-omics analysis will be promoted by the integration of transcriptomics data, previously acquired and analyzed by the group, and the metabolomics data generated in this project. Additionally, artificial intelligence will be trained for the similarity assessment of the metabolic profile of the participants with the metabolic profile of different diseases linked to PTEs exposure. The construction of the artificial intelligence will be conducted using online available data from multiple metabolomics studies. The application of the trained AI to the participants' metabolomics data will enable the assessment of their predisposition to different diseases. The association between analytical chemistry, omics, and data science makes this project highly innovative, with a high potential for generating a new health technology applicable to public and collective health.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CAMERA, LAIS CALPACCI; DIOGO, YURI RIBEIRO; VITAL, VITOR GONCALVES; LIRA, KEITH DAYANE LEITE; FERREIRA, VINICIUS GUIMARAES; CAPPELINI, LUCIANA TERESA DIAS; DE VASCONCELLOS, SUZAN PANTAROTO; MORAIS, MICHELLE MANFRINI. A scientific note on microbial diversity in pollen stored by Melipona quadrifasciata: a comparative study of fermentation stages. Apidologie, v. 56, n. 2, p. 9-pg., 2025-04-01. (23/04171-6)

CAPPELINI, LUCIANA TERESA DIAS; OGUNBIYI, OLUTOBI DANIEL; FERREIRA, VINICIUS GUIMARAES; LUGO, CAROLINA CUCHIMAQUE; PEREZ, MONICA BEATRIZ; MONEM, MYMUNA; GEORGE, FLORENCE; GARDINALI, PIERO; BAGNER, DANIEL M.; QUINETE, NATALIA. Monitoring Emerging Contaminants in Soil and Household Dust Samples by Non-Targeted Analysis in the Greater Miami Area, Florida. JOURNAL OF AOAC INTERNATIONAL, v. N/A, p. 19-pg., 2025-03-20. (23/04171-6)