International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Dear Colleagues,

Air pollution is a global problem and a risk factor for the development and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. This Special Issue aims to present novel areas of research to advance our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in lung diseases and environmental pollutant exposure. Potential therapeutic approaches for studying environmental pollutant exposure and lung diseases are welcome in this Special Issue. We invite investigators from all fields related to environmental pollutants and the respiratory system to submit original research articles or reviews describing and discussing the recent advances in the field of environmental pollutants and lung diseases.

The Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, titled "Environmental Pollutants and Lung Diseases: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms", specifically focuses on original papers and reviews. Because IJMS is a journal dedicated to molecular science, studies solely based on clinical trials or data fall outside the scope of this project.

Dr. Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

lung diseases
environmental pollutants
cellular signaling
molecular mechanisms
therapeutic approaches

Published Papers (1 paper)

Review

14 pages, 2175 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dark under the Lamp: Neglected Biological Pollutants in the Environment Are Closely Linked to Lung Cancer

by Dongjie Wang, Ben Chung-Lap Chan, Bitian Zhang, Katie Ching-Yau Wong, Lea Ling-Yu Kan and Chun-Kwok Wong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3081; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063081 - 07 Mar 2024

Viewed by 873

Abstract

Environmental pollutants are closely linked to lung cancer. The different types of environmental pollutants can be classified as chemical, physical, and biological. The roles of common chemical and physical pollutants such as PM2.5, smoking, radon, asbestos, and formaldehyde in lung cancer have been extensively studied. Notably, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness of the strong link between biological pollution and human health. Allergens such as house dust mites and pollen, as well as bacteria and viruses, are common biological pollutants. A few biological pollutants have been reported to promote lung cancer via inducing inflammatory cytokines secretion, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TGF-β, as well as suppressing immunosurveillance by upregulating regulatory T (Treg) cells while dampening the function of CD8⁺ T cells and dendritic cells. However, the correlation between common biological hazards, such as SARS-CoV-2, human immunodeficiency viruses, Helicobacter pylori, and house dust mites, and lung cancer is not fully elucidated, and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Moreover, the majority of studies that have been performed in lung cancer and biological carcinogens were not based on the perspective of biological pollutants, which has challenged the systematicity and coherence in the field of biological pollutants in lung cancer. Here, in addition to reviewing the recent progress made in investigating the roles of allergens, viruses, and bacteria in lung cancer, we summarized the potential mechanisms underlying biological pollutants in lung cancer. Our narrative review can shed light on understanding the significance of biological pollutants in lung cancer, as well as inspire and broaden research ideas on lung cancer etiology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollutants and Lung Diseases: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms)

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