Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (23): 5964-5971.doi: 10.12307/2026.349

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Association between environmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and the risk of type 1 diabetes

Wang Ting1, Yang Yang1, Li Yuping2, Yang Lin1   

  1. 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2025-06-27 Accepted:2025-08-14 Online:2026-08-18 Published:2025-12-30
  • Contact: Yang Lin, PhD, Associate professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
  • About author:Wang Ting, Department of Clinical Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Key Research and Development Project of the Science and Technology Plan of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, No. YZ2024068 (to LYP); Key Laboratory Project for Big Data Analysis and Knowledge Services, a Jointly Built Science and Technology Innovation Platform between Yangzhou City and Yangzhou University, No. YBK202202 (to LYP)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As a group of ubiquitous exogenous compounds in the environment, endocrine disrupting chemicals can interfere with endocrine system function and contribute to various diseases. In recent years, the correlation between exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and type 1 diabetes risk has become a research hotspot, but the exact underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress on the association between endocrine disrupting chemicals and type 1 diabetes in terms of epidemiological studies, animal experiments, and related mechanism studies.
METHODS: The literature retrieval was conducted on CNKI and PubMed databases from January 2000 to January 2025 with the keywords of “endocrine disrupting chemicals; EDCs; type 1 diabetes; T1DM” in Chinese and English, respectively. A total of 55 articles were selected for the review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Typical endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A, pesticides and heavy metals can promote the development of type 1 diabetes through various pathways, including inducing immune dysregulation, activating oxidative stress, and epigenetic regulation. However, existing studies are limited by issues such as non-unified exposure assessment methods, an unclear dose-response relationship, and population heterogeneity. Future research should focus on identifying critical exposure windows and integrating multi-omics approaches to provide new strategies for the prevention of type 1 diabetes. 


Key words: endocrine disrupting chemicals, type 1 diabetes, pathogenesis, risk factor, bisphenol A, perfluorinated compounds, phthalates, pesticides

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