In a new study conducted by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health in the United States, two chemicals stimulated cancer cells to move to new sites, an indication that they could contribute to the spread of this disease in living organisms.
The study was published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, and he wrote about it EurekAlert website.
The study examined a group of industrial chemicals called… “per- and polyfluoroalkyl” (per- and polyfluoroalkyl), Its abbreviation is PFAS.
PFAS compounds are called “forever chemicals” because they do not decompose naturally and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals. They are considered among the substances that cause cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, decreased immunity, hormonal imbalance, and a number of problems. Other serious health risks.
PFAS are among about 9,000 compounds used to make products more resistant to water, stains and heat.
Due to their effectiveness, these chemicals are used in dozens of industries and are found in thousands of products we use daily, such as carpets, shoes, stain removers, waterproof clothing, cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foam and toilet paper.
Organic pollutants
“P-and polyfluoroalkyl substances constitute a prevalent class of persistent organic pollutants that are of increasing public concern worldwide,” said researcher Associate Professor Ji Cheng. “They have been frequently detected in the environment, such as in drinking water, cleaning products, and paints.” .
The chemicals appear in the blood of newborns, in fish and mussels, and even in bird eggs. No level of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is considered safe in the body, and it has been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer.
Last November, Classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer Perfluorooctanoic acid, a common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, has been declared a probable human carcinogen, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, another common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, has been declared a probable human carcinogen.
Cheng explained that no studies have addressed the relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkylColon Cancer And direct
However, firefighters suffer from this type of cancer at higher rates than the general population, and they are highly exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl.
But what chemicals might do to start or induce this type of cancer has not been clear.
Spread of cancer
“We look at patterns that occur within an at-risk group of people or a sick group of people, and then we try to generate a hypothesis about why someone might get a disease or develop a disease,” said researcher Carolyn Johnson, associate professor of epidemiology. “Metabolomics is one of the “The only tools with which you can measure environmental exposure are in the same sample as the biological effect.”
In this series of experiments, the researchers studied how colorectal cancer cells reacted to being immersed in a per- and polyfluoroalkyl solution for up to 7 days.
They observed an increase in cell movement with exposure and found metabolic changes that were consistent with cancer metastasis.
The results were consistent with current knowledge about colorectal cancer cell metabolism, proliferation, and prognosis, representing evidence that chemicals can induce metastasis.
They also found that perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid stimulated cancer cells to move to new sites, suggesting that they could contribute to the spread of cancer in living organisms.
