The crosstalk between trace elements with DNA damage response, repair, and oxidative stress in cancer

Area of Science:

• Genomic stability and cancer research.
• Environmental toxicology and health.
• Molecular biology and cellular regulation.

Background:

• DNA damage response (DDR) is crucial for maintaining genome integrity, with defects linked to cancer.
• Oxidative stress (OS) and trace elements are increasingly recognized as factors in cancer development.
• Trace elements can modulate DDR/repair mechanisms and are associated with cancer risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of critical trace elements in cancer risk.
• To introduce DNA damage response (DDR) and oxidative stress (OS) in the context of cancer.
• To examine the interactions between specific trace elements (selenium, zinc, chromium, cadmium, arsenic) and DDR/OS in cancer.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on trace elements, DNA damage response, oxidative stress, and cancer.
• Synthesis of current evidence on the interplay between trace elements and cellular mechanisms.
• Analysis of specific trace elements and their impact on DDR and OS pathways.

Main Results:

• Trace elements influence mediators of DNA damage response (DDR).
• Interactions between trace elements, DDR, and oxidative stress (OS) are implicated in cancer development.
• Specific elements like selenium, zinc, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic show associations with cancer risk via DDR and OS.

Conclusions:

• Trace elements play a significant role in modulating DDR and OS, thereby influencing cancer risk.
• Understanding these interactions is vital for developing targeted cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
• Further research into specific trace element-DDR-OS pathways can elucidate cancer etiology.