Molecular impact of arthropod repellents and toxicants on human health

Given the current emphasis on new paradigms for risk assessment that rely heavily on human and human-derived cell lines, fundamental molecular human studies are essential but also greatly lacking for environmental chemicals. In particular, there is an incredibly high exposure rate to the general public of arthropod repellents and toxicants commonly used around the home. We used RNA-Seq (Illumina) and Ion Torrent (Life Technologies) sequencing technology to provide data on the impact of DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide) and Fipronil on global gene expression in human hepatocytes and their impact on global cellular function.  This unique approach, in lieu of rodent models, is expected to have an immediate impact on the evaluation of the risk of DEET, Fipronil, and other environmental compounds and provide leads for future research.