New Haven, Conn. — A new study led by researchers at Yale University suggests that early-life exposure to two widespread environmental pollutants— small particle air pollution and outdoor artificial light at night—could increase the risk of pediatric thyroid cancer.

The study—a collaborative effort involving multiple Yale departments and institutions across the U.S.—found a “significant association” between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN) and increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults up to 19 years old. The exposures occurred during the perinatal stage of life, typically defined as the time from when pregnancy occurs up to a year after birth.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a globally prevalent malignancy with high morbidity and mortality rates, closely linked to aberrant epigenetic modifications. Among these, pseudouridine (Ψ), one of the most abundant RNA chemical modifications, plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis by regulating mRNA stability, translation efficiency, and splicing processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that the small-molecule inhibitor Pyrazofurin, targeting the pseudouridine synthase DKC1, exhibits significant anti-tumor activity, suggesting Ψ modification as a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC. However, the dynamic changes and clinical implications of transcriptome-wide Ψ modifications in CRC remain poorly understood.