Laboratory studies highlight a different mechanism from the most accredited one so far: tumor growth is triggered by chronic inflammation caused by fine particles rather than genetic mutations
About what air pollution can cause lung tumors (but not only) there is no doubt. A study, recently published in the scientific journal natures
, however, sheds light on a new possible mechanism, different from the one investigated so far, which could not only explain how smog causes cancer, but also help find a way to prevent it in the future. So far, in fact, research has focused on the fact that pollutants in the air can cause DNA mutations which, over time, favor the onset of lung cancer. “The new study is innovative because it explores a different mechanism and documents how chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role” points out Sergio HarariHead of Internal Medicine and Pulmonology at the San Giuseppe MultiMedica Hospital in Milan.
Pollution, cancer and deaths
Global estimates say smog is responsible for over 250 thousand deaths from lung adenocarcinoma every year in the world, as well as millions of deaths from other diseases. Various researches have found a link, yet to be confirmed, also between polluted air and head and neck neoplasms (mouth, nose, throat), bladder, breast, skin and prostate. «The World Health Organization considers it directly attributable to air pollutants a third of premature deaths due to heart attacks or strokes, respiratory diseases and lung cancer – recalls Harari, professor of internal medicine at the University of Milan -. A worrying fact also in the light of the last one document “Air Quality Report” (February 2023) by the European Environment Agency in which Italy confirms itself among the most polluted European countries: if the estimates of premature deaths from PM2.5 have gone from 58,600 in 2016 to just 28,900 in 2020 for Germany, for Italy, however, it has 58,600 to 52,300 premature deaths». Air pollution includes various carcinogens from human activities (vehicular traffic, industries, domestic heating), but the effect of fine particles, cataloged among certain carcinogens for humans, is certainly greater in the smokerswho already have their respiratory system greatly weakened and damaged by tobacco.
The new studio
In their survey, researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London evaluated epidemiological and environmental data from the UK, Canada, South Korea and Taiwan and analyzed in the laboratory both tumor tissue samples from patients and mouse models (Mice are similar to humans, so they are used to study many diseases). The final results indicate that air pollution promotes the proliferation of already mutated cells, potentially due to the sum of DNA “errors” that accumulate naturally with aging, present in the lungs. “Smog would not only favor new mutations responsible for cancer, but by determining chronic inflammation of the respiratory systemover time it would favor the transformation of cells into carcinoma – concludes Harari -. A completely different pathogenetic mechanismalso from the one with which cigarette smoke causes tumors ».
May 5, 2023 (change May 5, 2023 | 12:51)
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