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Heavy Metals in the Environment and Thyroid Cancer.

Fiorenza Gianì1, Roberta Masto1, Maria Antonietta Trovato2

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Environmental heavy metal pollution may increase thyroid cancer risk. Chronic exposure to metals affects immature thyroid stem cells, promoting proliferation and potential transformation, while mature cells remain unaffected.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Toxicology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Thyroid cancer incidence has risen globally, coinciding with increased environmental metal pollution.
  • A potential link between heavy metal exposure and thyroid cancer warrants investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence linking environmental heavy metals to thyroid cancer.
  • To investigate the effects of chronic metal exposure on human thyroid stem/progenitor cells and thyroid cancer development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing evidence on metal pollution and thyroid cancer.
  • In vitro studies exposing human thyroid stem/progenitor cells (thyrospheres) to various metals.
  • In vivo studies using a rat model predisposed to thyroid cancer.

Main Results:

  • Chronic exposure to environmentally relevant metal concentrations induced a biphasic proliferation in thyrospheres, a hormesis effect.
  • The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) pathway was activated by all tested metals.
  • A mixture of metals showed a synergistic effect, while mature thyrocytes were unaffected.
  • Preliminary data suggest persistent abnormalities in cells derived from exposed thyrospheres, increasing transformation risk.
  • Metal exposure accelerated thyroid cancer progression in a rat model.

Conclusions:

  • Immature thyroid stem/progenitor cells are susceptible to low-level chronic metal exposure, potentially leading to thyroid cancer.
  • Metal-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity in thyroid cells occur at early differentiation stages.
  • Environmental metal pollution is a potential contributing factor to the rising incidence of thyroid cancer.