Sunday, May 12, 2024

A British scientist found out how air pollution causes lung cancer even in non-smokers

 Charles Swanton from the Francis Crick Institute found that volatile microparticles cause mutations in the EGFR and KRAS genes, which provokes the development of lung cancer.


The research team led by Swanton analyzed the health data of more than 460,000 people in England, South Korea and Taiwan.


They found that exposure to tiny PM2.5 pollution particles less than 2.5 microns in size leads to an increased risk of mutations in the EGFR gene.


In laboratory studies on mice, the team showed that the particles caused changes in the EGFR gene as well as the KRAS gene, both of which are linked to lung cancer.


They then analyzed nearly 250 lung tissue samples from people who had never been exposed to carcinogens from smoking or heavy environmental pollution.


Although the lungs were healthy, they found DNA mutations in 18% of the EGFR genes and 33% of the KRAS genes.


"It probably doesn't lead to cancer by itself," Swanton said. "But when a cell is exposed to pollution, it tries to regenerate itself, which leads to inflammation."


And if that cell contains mutated DNA, cancer will develop.


The research of British scientists shook the scientific world.


"This opens huge doors for both knowledge and new ways to prevent cancer," said Susan Delalog, who heads the cancer prevention program at France's Institut Gustave Roussy.


Tony Mok, an oncologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, called the research "exciting."


The researchers hope their findings will prompt states to respond to rising air pollution.


"You and I have a choice whether we smoke or not, but we don't have a choice about the air we breathe," Swanton concluded.

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