Scientists from the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) coauthored a new study published in Nature Communications that sheds light on how plastic-associated endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin disease with limited treatment options.
In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Kurunthachalam Kannan’s laboratory analyzed skin biopsies and adipose tissue from HS patients and controls, measuring levels of common EDCs such as bisphenols and phthalates. The team found notable concentrations of these chemicals in HS patient samples. Laboratory studies further showed that even very low levels of these compounds can inhibit nicastrin, a key protein involved in cellular regulation, triggering inflammatory pathways linked to HS.
While the study does not establish a direct causal relationship, it demonstrates that environmental exposures can contribute to and exacerbate HS pathogenesis. The researchers also discovered that bisphenols can accumulate in adipose tissue at elevated levels, a previously unrecognized finding.
This work highlights the Wadsworth Center’s leadership in uncovering how environmental factors influence emerging chronic diseases and supports evidence-based approaches to public health protection.
Williams KL, Badiei B, Reilly J, Andrews W, Minsky HB, Haddad NR, Martinez Pena EG, Sun M, Lee S, Li A, Curvin-Aquilla L, Johnson AY, Willis A, Kirby CS, van Ee A, Xue Y, Cox CA, Rajagopalan SP, Kang S, Kannan K, Caffrey J, Archer NK, Kane M, Garza LA. Plastic associated endocrine disruptors reduce Nicastrin protein and potentiate inflammation in hidradenitis suppurativa skin disease. Nat Commun. 2025 Nov 28;16(1):10755. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-65789-7. PMID: 41315355; PMCID: PMC12663211.