Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Carcinogenesis. 2020 Sep 24;41(9):1161-1172. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgaa076.
Many metals are essential for living organisms, but at higher doses they may be toxic and carcinogenic. Metal exposure occurs mainly in occupational settings and environmental contaminations in drinking water, air pollution and foods, which can result in serious health problems such as cancer. Arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This review provides a comprehensive summary of current concepts of the molecular mechanisms of metal-induced carcinogenesis and focusing on a variety of pathways, including genotoxicity, mutagenesis, oxidative stress, epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modification and alteration in microRNA regulation, competition with essential metal ions and cancer-related signaling pathways. This review takes a broader perspective and aims to assist in guiding future research with respect to the prevention and therapy of metal exposure in human diseases including cancer.
许多金属对生物体都是必需的，但剂量过高时，它们可能具有毒性和致癌性。金属暴露主要发生在职业环境中，以及饮用水、空气污染和食物中的环境污染中，这可能导致严重的健康问题，如癌症。砷（As）、铍（Be）、镉（Cd）、铬（Cr）和镍（Ni）被国际癌症研究机构列为第 1 组致癌物。本综述全面总结了金属诱导致癌的分子机制的最新概念，重点介绍了多种途径，包括遗传毒性、致突变性、氧化应激、表观遗传修饰，如 DNA 甲基化、组蛋白翻译后修饰和 microRNA 调节的改变，与必需金属离子的竞争以及与癌症相关的信号通路。本综述从更广泛的角度出发，旨在为人类疾病（包括癌症）中金属暴露的预防和治疗提供指导，帮助未来的研究。
