Can Exposure to Environmental Pollutants Be Associated with Less Effective Chemotherapy in Cancer Patients?

Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel, Wen Liu and Helgi B. Schiöth
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Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel: Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, BMC Box 593, Husargatan 3, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
Wen Liu: Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, BMC Box 593, Husargatan 3, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
Helgi B. Schiöth: Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, BMC Box 593, Husargatan 3, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Since environmental pollutants are ubiquitous and many of them are resistant to degradation, we are exposed to many of them on a daily basis. Notably, these pollutants can have harmful effects on our health and be linked to the development of disease. Epidemiological evidence together with a better understanding of the mechanisms that link toxic substances with the development of diseases, suggest that exposure to some environmental pollutants can lead to an increased risk of developing cancer. Furthermore, several studies have raised the role of low-dose exposure to environmental pollutants in cancer progression. However, little is known about how these compounds influence the treatments given to cancer patients. In this work, we present a series of evidences suggesting that environmental pollutants such as bisphenol A (BPA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), and airborne particulate matter may reduce the efficacy of some common chemotherapeutic drugs used in different types of cancer. We discuss the potential underlying molecular mechanisms that lead to the generation of this chemoresistance, such as apoptosis evasion, DNA damage repair, activation of pro-cancer signaling pathways, drug efflux and action of antioxidant enzymes, among others.

Keywords: chemotherapy resistance; apoptosis; PI3K/AKT pathway; drug efflux; antioxidant enzymes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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