Mapping chemical-gene interactions for developmental lethality and pregnancy loss

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Authors: Syed Hassan Bukhari, Amrita Nagasuri, Boris Oskotsky, Leen Arnaout, Polina Minkovski, Gonçalo dos Santos Correia, David Alan MacIntyre, Gary M. Shaw, David K. Stevenson, Ruth Bunker Lathi, Svetlana A. Yatsenko, Tomiko Oskotsky
+2 more Aleksandar Rajkovic, Marina Sirota
Cited by: 0
References: 20

Abstract

Purpose: Pregnancy loss affects 10-15% of clinically recognized pregnancies and is driven by genetic and environmental factors. Interactions between genes and chemicals critically shape developmental outcomes, yet existing resources do not organize chemical-gene evidence by gestational timing, maternal-fetal compartment, or lethality context. Methods: To minimize this gap, we merged Intolerome genes and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database databases to create a filtered network of 928 lethality-associated genes and ~4,000 chemicals. We developed the Chemical-Gene Atlas (CGA) application, which analyzes chemical-gene interactions using four filters supporting hypothesis generation and clinical translation. Results: Using recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) as a case study, CGA identified five clinically important genes (F5, F2, AURKB, PADI6, and FOXD1) demonstrating different exposomic patterns with Bisphenol A (BPA) and Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). These exposures affect gene expression, methylation, and coagulation pathways and placental function. Our findings demonstrate that genes with loss-of-function intolerance, especially those expressed in metabolic and cardiovascular systems, are susceptible to environmental disruption during critical windows of development, including implantation, placental development, and early organogenesis. Conclusion: The CGA platform provides a scalable model to investigate chemical-gene interactions leading to developmental lethality. CGA is available at https://cgatlas.org/.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals Folate and B Vitamins Research Health Environment Cognitive Aging

Publication details

Journal / source
Next research.
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
12
Pages
102206–102206
Publication date
22 July 2026
Language
EN