Robert Roth
- Professor
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- 221 Food Safety
- 1129 Farm Lane
- East Lansing MI 48823
- 517-353-9841
- rothr@msu.edu
WEBSITE
https://phmtox.migrate.natsci.msu.edu/people/faculty/roth.aspx
BIOGRAPHY
Researchers in my laboratory are interested in inflammation as a determinant of susceptibility to the toxic effects of drugs and other chemical agents. All of us experience episodes of inflammation. We are interested in how modest inflammation can make individuals particularly sensitive to toxic chemicals. We have found that a small dose of endotoxin that is without effect by itself markedly enhances the hepatotoxic effects of aflatoxin B1, as well as other toxic agents that occur in our food or environment. Thus, endotoxin exposure or underlying inflammation from other causes may be an important determinant of sensitivity of people and animals to toxic chemicals. Our team is working to characterize this inflammation-induced augmentation of toxicity and to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie it.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
- Inflammation as a determinant of susceptibility to the toxic effects of drugs and other chemical agents