Chemical compounds from anthropogenic environment and immune evasion mechanisms: potential interactions

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Immunology
• Cancer research

Background:

• Host immunity is a critical barrier against tumor formation and progression.
• Environmental chemicals can interfere with innate and adaptive immune responses, impacting immunosurveillance.
• Cumulative effects of low-dose, multi-chemical exposures pose a significant challenge in risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review common environmental chemicals and their potential effects on immunosurveillance.
• To discuss signaling pathways critical to tumor immunosurveillance that may be influenced by these chemicals.
• To highlight the potential role of environmental chemicals in promoting tumor immune evasion.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of common environmental chemicals and their impact on immune surveillance pathways.
• Analysis of signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, chemokines, TGF-β, FAK, IGF-1, HIF-1α, IL-6, IL-1α, CTLA-4, and PD-1/PDL-1.
• Identification of specific chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and personal care product components.

Main Results:

• Several common environmental chemicals (e.g., fungicides, herbicides, triclosan, BPA) can interfere with critical immune surveillance pathways.
• These chemicals, though not classified as carcinogens, can collectively impact host immune response and promote immune evasion.
• The review identified specific chemicals and their potential to interact with pathways crucial for tumor immunosurveillance.

Conclusions:

• Environmental chemicals can subvert tumor immunosurveillance, potentially contributing to cancer progression.
• Understanding the impact of these chemicals on immune evasion mechanisms is essential for assessing cancer risk.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the cumulative effects of low-dose environmental chemical exposures on cancer development.