What are the mechanisms by which these mutations alter normal cellular processes, leading to the uncontrolled cell growth seen in cancer or the neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer’s disease?
Outdoor air pollution is a mixture of tiny dust-like particles and substances in the air that have the potential to negatively impact health. It can be artificial, such as fumes from vehicles or factories and smoke from burning fuels like wood or coal. But it also includes natural sources of pollutaRead more
Outdoor air pollution is a mixture of tiny dust-like particles and substances in the air that have the potential to negatively impact health. It can be artificial, such as fumes from vehicles or factories and smoke from burning fuels like wood or coal. But it also includes natural sources of pollutants, such as wind-blown dust, radon and ozone. Research on air pollution usually looks at the smallest particles, called ‘particulate matter.
Because air pollution contains a mixture of polluting particles, there are a few ways air pollution could cause lung cancer. For example, tiny particles may build up in the lungs and damage the DNA in cells. This can change how cells divide, which can lead to cancer.
Researchers are investigating how tiny particles may cause inflammation in the lungs that can lead to cancer. It has not been proven that air pollution causes other types of cancer.
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