Air Pollution Found to Activate Cancer Cells in Lungs of Non-Smokers

Air pollution is a growing problem that affects people globally. Not only does it harm the environment, but it also poses a severe threat to human health.

Recently, a study published in the Nature Journal on April 5, 2023, has shown that air pollution can activate cancer cells in the lungs of non-smokers.

The study examined the incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers, using mice as test subjects. The study revealed that pollution did not cause mutations but led to inflammation, encouraging tumor growth in the already mutated tissue.

Professor Charles Swanton, one of the study’s authors from London’s Francis Crick Institute, explained that cancer-causing mutations usually accumulate naturally over time, remaining dormant.

“We’ve shown that air pollution wakes these cells in the lungs, making them grow and potentially form tumors,” Swanton said.

Today our important study on air pollutants in the promotion of lung cancer has been published in @Nature led by @WillHilliam @LimEmilia @DrClareWeeden @SwantonLab …Thread below🧵https://t.co/q1ICykmVox pic.twitter.com/P04ymiIDOu

— Charles Swanton (@CharlesSwanton) April 5, 2023

The Outcome of the Study

The study found that air pollution can trigger a process known as autophagy in the lungs. Autophagy is a natural phenomenon where the body cleanses damaged cells and replaces them with new ones.

However, in the case of lung cancer, autophagy can promote the growth and spread of cancer cells.

The study focused on non-smokers because they are more likely to develop lung cancer due to exposure to air pollution. The researchers exposed non-smoking mice to high levels of air pollution. They found that their lungs showed increased levels of autophagy.

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They also found that the mice developed more extensive and aggressive lung tumors. According to the World Health Organization, toxic air is inhaled by 99% of the world’s population, causing around 9 million preventable deaths every year globally.

Air pollution causes lung cancer by “waking up” dormant mutant cells that grow into tumours, scientists have discovered.

They discovered that outdoor air pollution triggers cancer in a different way from smokinghttps://t.co/bVtF8W41kH

— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) April 5, 2023

Although smoking can cause lung cancer, air pollution can also trigger this deadly disease. Medical geneticist Serena Nik-Zainal from the University of Cambridge explained that the concept behind this is that exposure to carcinogens can promote cancer without directly affecting DNA.

She stated that not all carcinogens are mutagens. Professor Swanton and his team investigated this phenomenon by collecting epidemiological and environmental data from South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, and the UK.

They focused on individuals carrying mutations in the EGFR gene, more commonly in non-smokers. The team mimicked the gene mutation using mice and exposed them to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) or air pollution. They observed an increase in inflammation and a lack of cell mutations.

Air Pollution and Cancer

According to Allan Balmain, a cancer researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, the primary mechanism through which air pollution causes cancer is not by causing new mutations. Instead, sustained chronic inflammation promotes mutated cells to develop into tumors.

PM2.5, is named after its size of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. It has been associated with adverse health effects, including heart attacks and strokes.

These tiny pollutant particles come from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and power plant emissions. These particles can also penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

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Furthermore, researchers observed that immune cells traveled to the inflammation site in response to PM2.5 exposure. It contained a protein known as IL-1β, which promotes inflammation. Inhibiting this protein showed a reduction in instances of lung cancer in mice.

Air pollution ‘wakes up’ cancer cells in non-smokers’ lungs: study https://t.co/WjG7Wr1r3M

— New York Post (@nypost) April 6, 2023

The research findings have influenced the authors’ call to policymakers for enhanced measures. This move is to combat pollution that could result in a “reduction of disease burden.”

According to Swanton, “The mechanism we have uncovered has the potential to assist us in discovering more effective means of preventing and treating lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked.”

He also added that if they can halt the growth of cells in response to air pollution, the risk of lung cancer can be minimized.

While the study focused on non-smokers, smoking is still the leading cause of lung cancer. However, the study highlights the need for increased efforts to reduce air pollution, particularly in urban areas where pollution levels are highest.