Doctors told how exhaust gases cause lung cancer
(ORDO NEWS) — Doctors have figured out exactly how air pollution causes lung cancer. This was told by doctors at a conference of the European Society of Oncology in Paris.
Scientists have long known that smog and atmospheric emissions cause lung cancer. Although smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, 300,000 people worldwide died from this particulate disease in 2019.
At the same time, scientists did not know exactly how fine suspensions in the air are harmful.
Charles Swanton of the Francis Crick Institute and colleagues figured this out in a lab experiment. It turned out that particles smaller than 2.5 microns are capable of initiating dormant mutations.
Mice artificially mutated in the EGFR gene associated with lung cancer were much more likely to develop it when exposed to particulate matter.
The study also showed that disease risk is related to the inflammatory protein interleukin-1 beta (IL1B) released as part of the body’s immune response to PM2.5 exposure.
When mice were given protein-blocking drugs, they were less vulnerable to the pollutants.
The authors hope that this knowledge will help fight lung cancer among non-smokers.
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