Can air cause cancer?

The discovery could lead to new ways to prevent or treat the initial lung changes that lead to the disease

The tiny fine particulate matter (FPM) found in air pollutants has been identified as a Group 1 carcinogen, posing a significant threat to global health

"Although FPM has the potential to cause mutations, recent studies have shown that FPM does not directly promote -- and may even inhibit -- the growth of lung cancer cells,

To explore this possibility, the team collected FPM from seven locations in China and studied its effect on cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), the main immune cells that defend against tumor growth

To investigate why CTLs did not enter the lungs as quickly in FPM-exposed lungs, the team studied the CTLs themselves and lung tissue structure

Further analysis of the tissue showed that the structural change was caused by an increase in collagen isoform IV, but the team still didn't know how FPM triggered this change

"The most surprising discovery was the mechanism by which this process occurs," Wang said

"Our study revealed a completely new mechanism that promotes the development of lung tumors through inhalation of fine particulate matter," concludes senior author Lei Dong, a professor at Nanjing University's School of Life Sciences

Zhenzhen Wang, Ziyu Zhai, Chunyu Chen, Xuejiao Tian, ​​Zhen Xing, Panfei Xing, Yushun Yang, Junfeng Zhang, Chunming Wang, Lei Dong.