FOI2025/00978: DEFRA Project VM02117 2001-2003
Case reference FOI2025/00978
Received 2 November 2025
Published 28 November 2025
Request
Request received: 2 November 2025
Please can you provide me with the follow up findings mentioned in the final report of DEFRA project VM02117 2001-2003 ‘Characterisation of non- acetylcholinesterase actions of OPs by identification of novel protein targets - VM02117’ ‘Contractor / Funded Organisations Medical Research Council’,
1. as shown in the final report, namely the OP targets identified and their and relevance to human health - ‘Further work Assuming that there are no further hold ups, in the next six months the OP targets in the brain will be identified by mass spectrometric analysis and then fully characterised and their relevance to human health ascertained.’
2. In addition, please can you advise what further work has been conducted in relation to this statement and provide me with the findings of any further studies:
‘Conclusions This study has confirmed our original hypothesis: that there are previously unrecognised proteins present in the brain that are adducted by organophosphates to which humans are currently exposed at dose levels which are low enough not to induce warning cholinergic signs. Furthermore, we have shown that, of the six organophosphates tested, each adducts a different spectrum of target proteins. Just one of them (chlorpyrifos) reacted only with the conventional target, acetylcholinesterase. This variability across structures has one important consequence: if the non-cholinesterase mediated actions of organophosphates are mediated by these proteins, then organophosphates must be assessed on a compound by compound basis - not as a homogenous class.’
Response
Response sent: 28 November 2025
Full details of the response are provided in the attached documents
Documents
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