Arsenic and Human Health: New Molecular Mechanisms For Arsenic-Induced Cancers

• Published in: Current pollution reports Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 784 - 797
• Main Authors: Nail, Alexandra N., Xu, Manting, Bastick, Jonathan C., Patel, Deep P., Rogers, Max N., States, J. Christopher
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alternative splicing; Aquatic Pollution; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; bladder; Breast cancer; breast neoplasms; breasts; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Damage; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disruption; DNA; DNA damage; DNA methylation; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice; Epigenetics; Exposure; Gene expression; Histones; human health; Industrial Pollution Prevention; Kidneys; Kinases; Liver; Liver cancer; lungs; Marginalized groups; Metastases; metastasis; methylation; MicroRNAs; Molecular modelling; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; non-coding RNA; Pollution; Prostate; Prostate cancer; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Topical Collection on Human Health Effects of Environmental Pollution; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Canada; United States > US; China; Taiwan; Poland; Italy; Mexico; Pomerania; India; DNA damage signaling; Epigenetic modifications; Epitranscriptomics; Arsenic; Cancer
• ISSN: 2198-6592; 2198-6592
• DOI: 10.1007/s40726-023-00278-3

Purpose of Review Chronic inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure affects over 220 million people throughout the world. Given that iAs is ubiquitous in the environment, it is important to understand the human health consequences of chronic iAs exposure. The purpose of this review is to highlight and evaluate research findings within the past 5 years that address the molecular mechanisms responsible for cancers caused by chronic iAs exposure. We also propose new research directions for the iAs research field based on the newest uncovered mechanisms for how this age-old poison promotes cancer. Recent Findings Within the past 5 years, studies provide evidence that chronic iAs exposure promotes kidney, prostate, liver, and breast cancer in humans. New molecular mechanisms that promote cancer development by iAs exposure in skin, lung, bladder, kidney, prostate, liver, and breast include histone modifications, DNA and RNA methylation, non-coding RNA expression, disruption of alternative splicing, and inhibition of the DNA damage response. Summary Recent studies highlight disruption of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications and/or the DNA damage response by chronic iAs exposure across many models of iAs-induced carcinogenesis, including cancers that are not classically defined as being caused by chronic iAs exposure. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying initiation and metastasis of iAs-induced cancers is essential for improving detection and targeted treatment of iAs-induced cancers. Graphical Abstract