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Review
. 2019 Dec 24;21(1):136.
doi: 10.3390/ijms21010136.

Deciphering the Code between Air Pollution and Disease: The Effect of Particulate Matter on Cancer Hallmarks

Miguel Santibáñez-Andrade  1 , Yolanda I Chirino  2 , Imelda González-Ramírez  1 , Yesennia Sánchez-Pérez  1 , Claudia M García-Cuellar  1
Affiliations
Review

Deciphering the Code between Air Pollution and Disease: The Effect of Particulate Matter on Cancer Hallmarks

Miguel Santibáñez-Andrade et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Air pollution has been recognized as a global health problem, causing around 7 million deaths worldwide and representing one of the highest environmental crises that we are now facing. Close to 30% of new lung cancer cases are associated with air pollution, and the impact is more evident in major cities. In this review, we summarize and discuss the evidence regarding the effect of particulate matter (PM) and its impact in carcinogenesis, considering the "hallmarks of cancer" described by Hanahan and Weinberg in 2000 and 2011 as a guide to describing the findings that support the impact of particulate matter during the cancer continuum.

Keywords: air pollution; cancer hallmarks; particulate matter.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) or some of its components, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), have an impact on cell signaling pathways or cellular deregulations considered as key events during tumor development and known as hallmarks of cancer. However, some of these hallmarks are still negative for PM2.5 exposure, including induction of mutations, replicative immortality acquisition, and immune cell destruction.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Particulate matter and its role in cancer hallmarks. Representation of the role of particulate matter in the induction of the cancer hallmarks proposed by Hanahan and Weinberg in 2000 [1] and 2011 [2].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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