Human Carcinogens and the Asbestos Plague

Asbestos fiber size plays an important role in the carcinogenic activity and has been known to impact the likelihood of mesothelioma development.  One interesting study is called, "Phagocytosis of crocidolite asbestos induces oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis in mesothelial cells." By Liu W, Ernst JD, Broaddus VC. - Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2000 Sep;23(3):371-8.  Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - Phagocytosis of asbestos fibers may be a necessary step for asbestos-induced injury to mesothelial cells, but this has not been established because quantification of fiber uptake is difficult and ways to increase fiber phagocytosis without also increasing total dose were not available. We quantified phagocytosis by counting intracellular fibers after removing adherent fibers with trypsin; we selectively increased fiber phagocytosis by coating crocidolite asbestos fibers with the adhesive serum protein vitronectin (VN), which we have shown increases fiber uptake via integrins.

We measured various aspects of asbestos-induced cytotoxicity: intracellular oxidation by the shift of fluorescence of cells loaded with an oxidative probe, DNA strand breakage by the alkaline unwinding ethidium bromide fluorometric assay, apoptosis by annexin V binding and by nuclear morphology, and cell-cycle progression. We found that, compared with control fibers or particles, asbestos increased intracellular oxidation, DNA strand breakage, and apoptosis. Selective increases in fiber uptake by VN-coating of the fibers further increased the oxidation, DNA strand breakage, and apoptosis, and induced a cell-cycle arrest in G2/M. Selective decreases in fiber uptake by cytochalasin or by integrin blockade with RGD peptides inhibited several of these measures of injury. We conclude that phagocytosis is important and perhaps necessary for asbestos-induced injury to mesothelial cells."

Another interesting study is called, "Multiple mechanisms for the carcinogenic effects of asbestos and other mineral fibers." By J C Barrett, P W Lamb, and R W Wiseman - Environ Health Perspect. 1989 May; 81: 81–89. Here is an excerpt: "Asbestos and other mineral fibers are carcinogenic to humans and animals but differ from many carcinogens in that they do not induce gene mutations. An understanding of these interesting human carcinogens, therefore, is an important problem in cancer research. Asbestos and other fibers induce predominantly two types of cancers: mesotheliomas and bronchogenic carcinomas. Fiber size is an important factor in the carcinogenic activity of these substances as has been shown for mesothelioma induction. For bronchogenic carcinomas, but not for mesotheliomas, a synergistic effect of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoke has been observed in humans.

The mechanisms by which fibers alone versus fibers in concert with other carcinogens induce cancers are probably distinct. In addition to fiber dimensions, fiber durability and surface properties of fibers are important properties affecting carcinogenicity. Evidence exists that asbestos is a complete carcinogen, an initiator and a promoter. Multiple mechanisms must be operative to explain the diverse effects of mineral fibers. Although asbestos is inactive as a gene mutagen, there is now clear evidence that it induces chromosomal mutations (aneuploidy and aberrations) in a wide variety of mammalian cells including mesothelial cells. Asbestos also induces transformation of cells in culture including mesothelial cells and fibroblasts. A mechanism for cell transformation, which is dependent on fiber dimension, has been proposed. The fibers are phagocytized by the cells and accumulate in the perinuclear region of the cells. When the cell undergoes mitosis, the physical presence of the fibers interferes with chromosome segregation and results in anaphase abnormalities. The transformed cells show aneuploidy and other chromosome abnormalities."

If you found any of these excerpts interesting, please read the studies in their entirety.  We all owe a great debt to these researchers for their important work.