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Pollutants as Hidden Triggers: A Computational View on Oral and Lung Cancer Development
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This computational review maps how environmental pollutants including microplastics induce oxidative stress, DNA damage, and epigenetic changes that drive oral and lung cancer development, applying tools such as molecular docking, QSAR models, and multi-omics analysis to identify pollutant-gene interactions. As microplastics accumulate in lung and oral tissues and carry co-contaminants such as PAHs and heavy metals, understanding their role in cancer pathways is increasingly important for public health risk assessment.
Environmental pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), gaseous pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, occupational toxins, biological agents, and microplastics disrupt critical molecular mechanisms. They induce oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, mutations, and epigenetic modifications, ultimately affecting cancer-associated genes and pathways. While the association between environmental pollutants and lung cancer is well-established, their role in oral cancer remains underexplored, despite the oral cavity being a primary site of exposure. This review highlights how computational approaches are being applied to address this gap. Multi-omics analyses provide insight into pollutant-driven molecular changes. While tools such as molecular docking, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models, and machine learning enable toxicity prediction and pollutant–protein interaction studies. We also discuss how epidemiological and statistical models complement these computational approaches to reveal population-level risks. Finally, we discuss major challenges, including data heterogeneity, limited model validation, and integration with biological evidence, and outline future directions such as identification of cross-cancer mechanisms using AI-driven multi-omics integration and a focus on high-burden pollutants like PM2.5, PAHs, and microplastics. This computational perspective holds promise for improving early detection, guiding exposure risk assessment, and informing evidence-based public health strategies for cancer prevention.
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Microplastic Accumulation in the Human Lung: Distinct Signatures in Lung Cancer vs Normal Tissue
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (from things like packaging and bottles) in all the lung tissue samples they studied, both cancerous and healthy. Cancer samples tended to have more plastic bits, especially smaller fiber-shaped pieces made of common plastics like polypropylene and PET, but this was a small study, so it can't yet prove plastics cause cancer, just that they're worth investigating further. Bottom line: this adds to growing evidence that microplastics are showing up in our bodies, and researchers want to know if they're contributing to lung disease.
Micro(Nano)Plastics and the Risk of Cancer Development: Calling for Attention to a Macro Issue
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Researchers examined the potential role of micro- and nanoplastics in cancer development, reviewing mechanistic evidence for how these ubiquitous particles may disrupt cellular processes and promote tumor-associated pathways. The paper calls for greater scientific and regulatory attention to the oncological risks of chronic low-level plastic particle exposure.
Microplastics: a cancer-causing agent for humans and prospects for identification using AI and modern approaches
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics, smaller than a grain of rice, some invisible to the eye, can get into your body through the air you breathe, the food you eat, and even your skin, where they may trigger harmful biological reactions linked to cancer risk. This review paper pulls together existing research on how these particles behave in the body and highlights promising AI-based tools that could help scientists detect and study microplastics more effectively. The takeaway: microplastics are a growing health concern worth watching, and better detection methods are key to understanding the real risks they pose.
Micro-nano Plastics: Development of Carcinogenicity
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Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to cancer development, examining the biological pathways by which these particles — now found throughout the human body — could trigger cell damage, inflammation, and potentially carcinogenic processes.
“Micropollutants: Pathways, Toxicity, and Strategies for Risk Mitigation”
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Researchers review the sources, environmental pathways, and toxicological effects of micropollutants — including microplastics, heavy metals, and organic compounds — cataloging risk mitigation strategies ranging from advanced water treatment technologies to regulatory and waste management interventions.
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