The impact of chronic low dose cadmium exposure on skeletal growth and maintenance in mice models

/ABSTRACT Osteoporosis is a debilitating skeletal disease affecting over 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50, often resulting in painful and disabling fractures that significantly reduce quality of life and increase mortality. Achieving optimal peak bone mass and strength during early life is one of the most critical factors in reducing lifetime fracture risk. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal increasingly present in the environment due to industrial uses as a metal lubricant, in battery production, pigments, and plastics. Critically, Cd bioaccumulates in the body with a biological half-life of approximately 30 years, raising serious concerns about its effects during key developmental windows such as skeletal modeling in early life. This proposal aims to investigate the long- term skeletal consequences of Cd bioaccumulation during early skeletal growth and attainment of peak bone density, at doses that have previously been considered safe. We will assess effects of Cd on lumbar spine and femur during early skeletal development in mice up to time of peak bone density using advanced high resolution micro-computed tomography imaging, histomorphometry, evaluate biochemical markers of bone turnover and perform assays of bone strength and fracture resistance. This study will provide critical data on how environmentally relevant, chronic Cd exposures during development may compromise skeletal health. This work will inform public health policy and environmental safety standards, particularly as Cd exposure continues to rise globally. Moreover, it will highlight the vulnerability of developing skeletal systems to toxic environmental insults. Project Number: 1R03HD122165-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | Principal Investigator: Sadaf Dabeer | Institution: EMORY UNIVERSITY, ATLANTA, GA | Award Amount: $156,500 | Activity Code: R03 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 MSOS-T (03)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11356865