The Ah Receptor from Toxicity to Therapeutics: Report from the 5th AHR Meeting at Penn State University, USA, June 2022

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a sensor of low-molecular-weight molecule signals that originate from environmental exposures, the microbiome, and host metabolism. Building upon initial studies examining anthropogenic chemical exposures, the list of AHR ligands of microbial, diet, and host metabolism origin continues to grow and has provided important clues as to the function of this enigmatic receptor. The AHR has now been shown to be directly involved in numerous biochemical pathways that influence host homeostasis, chronic disease development, and responses to toxic insults. As this field of study has continued to grow, it has become apparent that the AHR is an important novel target for cancer, metabolic diseases, skin conditions, and autoimmune disease. This meeting attempted to cover the scope of basic and applied research being performed to address possible applications of our basic knowledge of this receptor on therapeutic outcomes.

Automated summary

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) senses low-molecular-weight molecule signals from environmental exposures, the microbiome, and host metabolism. It plays important roles in host homeostasis, chronic disease development, and responses to toxic insults. Recent research has shown that AHR is a promising target for cancer, metabolic diseases, skin conditions, and autoimmune disease. This meeting aimed to explore the potential therapeutic applications based on our understanding of this receptor.