Dioxins and related compounds are common environmental contaminants. Although their levels have gone down, they are still of concern, in particular regarding developmental toxicity. The adverse effects of these compounds are mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), whose canonical signaling pathway has been unveiled in fair detail. The alternative (non-genomic) pathways are much more obscure. AHR has also proven to be a master regulator of numerous physiological phenomena, which has led to the search of selective AHR modulators with low toxicity. Papers of this Special Issue address the developmental toxicity of dioxins and related compounds as well as selective modulators of AHR and both its canonical and alternative signaling pathways. In addition, new optical and stereoscopic methods for the detection of dioxins are presented. As a whole, this Special Issue provides an up-to-date view on a wide variety of aspects related to dioxin toxicity mechanisms from both original research articles and reviews.
Keywords: 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; TCDD; aryl hydrocarbon receptor; developmental toxicity; dioxins; halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; toxicity mechanisms.