{"id":664358,"date":"2025-04-22T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T06:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-silent-threat-to-brain-development-and-public-health\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T09:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T06:00:23","slug":"a-silent-threat-to-brain-development-and-public-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-silent-threat-to-brain-development-and-public-health\/","title":{"rendered":"A silent threat to brain development and public health"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5579125990\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5579125990\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-silent-threat-to-brain-development-and-public-health\/#Key_implications\" >Key implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-silent-threat-to-brain-development-and-public-health\/#Recommendations_for_action\" >Recommendations for action<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/medication-induced-ste.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/medication-induced-ste.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Medication-induced disruption of sterol biosynthesis poses significant risks to brain development and function. Credit: Julio Licinio\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/medication-induced-ste.jpg\" alt=\"Medication-induced sterol disruption: A silent threat to brain development and public health\" title=\"Medication-induced disruption of sterol biosynthesis poses significant risks to brain development and function. Credit: Julio Licinio\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Medication-induced disruption of sterol biosynthesis poses significant risks to brain development and function. Credit: Julio Licinio<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An editorial published in <i>Brain Medicine<\/i> raises the alarm about a previously overlooked threat to brain development and public health: the disruption of sterol biosynthesis by common pre<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ion medications.<\/p>\n<p>The editorial, &#8220;Medication-induced sterol disruption: An overlooked threat to brain development and public health,&#8221; authored by <i>Brain Medicine<\/i> Editor-in-Chief Julio Licinio, responds to a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/genomicpress.kglmeridian.com\/view\/journals\/brainmed\/aop\/article-10.61373-bm025p.0011\/article-10.61373-bm025p.0011.xml\" target=\"_blank\">recent article<\/a> by Korade and Mirnics that identified more than 30 FDA-approved drugs\u2014including widely prescribed psychiatric medications such as aripiprazole, trazodone, haloperidol, and cariprazine\u2014that inhibit DHCR7, a critical enzyme in cholesterol synthesis.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This inhibition raises the levels of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), suppresses cholesterol synthesis, and generates a sterol profile indistinguishable from that seen in congenital metabolic disorders,&#8221; Dr. Licinio explains in the editorial. &#8220;This is not a hypothetical concern\u2014it is empirically validated in cell lines, rodent models, and human blood samples.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The editorial highlights that these disruptions are particularly concerning during pregnancy and other developmental stages, but may have been systematically overlooked in drug safety evaluations. Even more alarming is that combinations of these medications\u2014a common reality in clinical settings\u2014can produce synergistic effects, elevating toxic metabolites to levels 15 times above normal.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What Korade and Mirnics reveal is especially disturbing in this context,&#8221; notes Dr. Licinio. &#8220;If individual drugs can mimic a metabolic disorder, what are we to make of their interactions? We are prescribing molecular cocktails with no empirical knowledge of how they alter developmental neurochemistry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The editorial points out that approximately 1\u20133% of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> population carries single-allele DHCR7 mutations that may make them particularly vulnerable to these medications. A single prescription could potentially tip their biochemical balance, with two or more medications sending them into a state resembling Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome, a serious developmental disorder.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_implications\"><\/span>Key implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Widely used psychiatric medications and other drugs may disrupt sterol biosynthesis, potentially causing developmental harm<\/li>\n<li>Current drug approval processes fail to account for polypharmacy effects, despite their prevalence<\/li>\n<li>Genetic vulnerability in a significant portion of the population increases risk<\/li>\n<li>Developmental vulnerability extends beyond pregnancy to include infancy, childhood, and adolescence<\/li>\n<li>Regulatory changes and clinical practice adjustments are urgently needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommendations_for_action\"><\/span>Recommendations for action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The editorial issues specific recommendations for im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te changes in clinical practice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pregnant women with DHCR7\u00b1 genotype should avoid medications with 7-DHC-elevating side effects<\/li>\n<li>Genetic testing should be considered for women of childbearing age who require these medications<\/li>\n<li>Polypharmacy involving drugs that disrupt sterol synthesis should be avoided during pregnancy<\/li>\n<li>Patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome should never receive medications with 7-DHC-elevating effects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For regulatory bodies and the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Licinio calls for mandatory sterol biosynthesis screening in developmental safety assessments, abandoning &#8220;the fiction of monotherapy testing,&#8221; and developing evaluation methods that reflect real-world prescribing patterns.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a call to action. Not someday. Now,&#8221; concludes Dr. Licinio.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                    Medication-induced sterol disruption: An overlooked threat to brain development and public health, <i>Brain Medicine<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.61373\/bm025d.0041\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.61373\/bm025d.0041<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u017deljka Korade et al, Sterol biosynthesis disruption by common prescription medications: critical implications for neural development and brain health, <i>Brain Medicine<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.61373\/bm025p.0011\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.61373\/bm025p.0011<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGenomic Press<\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Medication-induced sterol disruption: A silent threat to brain development and public health (2025, April 22)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 22 April 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-04-medication-sterol-disruption-silent-threat.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-04-medication-sterol-disruption-silent-threat.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Medication-induced disruption of sterol biosynthesis poses significant risks to brain development and function. Credit: Julio Licinio An editorial published in Brain Medicine raises the alarm about a previously overlooked threat to brain development and public health: the disruption of sterol biosynthesis by common prescription medications. The editorial, &#8220;Medication-induced sterol disruption: An overlooked threat to brain&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":664359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/medication-induced-ste.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-664358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=664358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/664359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=664358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=664358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=664358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}