Biochemist, physicist team to see antibacterial triclosan(TCS) deform mitochondria
Julie Gosse, a University of Maine associate professor of molecular and biomedical sciences, has scanned the supermarket aisles for products that contain triclosan(TCS), a synthetic antibacterial agent.
Since the '90s, TCS has been in a slew of consumer products, including facial cleansers, toothpaste, mouthwash and hand sanitizers.
For years, Gosse has studied TCS, which for decades also has been used as a hospital scrub to reduce risk of infection.
She became interested in examining triclosan when listening to a talk by Environmental Protection Agency scientist Susan Richardson and noting that the molecular structure of TCS resembles the molecular structure of dioxins, which are toxic environmental pollutants.
In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration banned triclosan from consumer bar soaps, liquid soaps and body washes. At that time, the FDA challenged manufacturers to either prove TCS was more effective at killing germs than plain soap, or to remove it from their soap product within a year.
The antimicrobial agent, which is readily absorbed into the skin and the lining of the mouth, has recently been found to have detrimental effects on human fertility, development, thyroid function and immunology, and has been associated with increased occurrence of asthma.
Then, about six months ago, the FDA also announced a ban on products such as hand washes and antiseptic rubs containing TCS that are used in medical settings.
There's no such ban on Colgate Total, the popular toothpaste that contains TCS. That's because it's been found to be more effective at treating gingivitis than toothpaste without it.
Gingivitis is an important health concern as it can lead to tooth loss. And research has indicated the bacteria that causes periodontitis can enter a person's bloodstream and harm the heart and lungs.
Gosse understands why people with gingivitis would use Colgate Total; she just wants millions of people without gingivitis who also use the product to be aware of possible risks.
"Our job is to do the best science we can do and make people aware," she says. "As scientists, we communicate our findings, and the public or companies or government decides what they should do."
News source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-biochemist-physicist-team-antibacterial-tcs.html
