Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
09:23
A Protocol for Detecting and Scavenging Gas-phase Free Radicals in Mainstream Cigarette Smoke
Published on: January 2, 2012
Oxygen radicals and asbestos carcinogenesis
V D Moyer1, C A Cistulli, C A Vaslet
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Environmental Health Perspectives
|December 1, 1994
Summary
Asbestos fibers generate reactive oxygen species, which may cause malignant mesothelioma. Failure of cellular adaptive responses to this oxidant injury can lead to genetic instability and cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental toxicology
- Cellular biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Asbestos exposure is a known cause of malignant mesothelioma.
- Asbestos fibers generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro.
- ROS are implicated in the pathogenesis of asbestos-induced cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of reactive oxygen species in asbestos-induced malignant mesothelioma.
- To investigate the adaptive responses of mesothelial cells to asbestos exposure.
- To understand the link between oxidant injury, genetic instability, and cancer development.
Main Methods:
- In vitro assays to measure reactive oxygen species generation by asbestos fibers.
- Exposure of mesothelial cells to asbestos fibers.
- Analysis of cellular adaptive responses to oxidant injury.
- Examination of genetic alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.
Main Results:
- Asbestos fibers induce reactive oxygen species generation.
- Mesothelial cells exhibit adaptive responses to asbestos-induced oxidant injury in vitro.
- Failure of these adaptive responses is hypothesized to cause genetic instability.
- Genetic instability may involve alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, promoting cell proliferation.
Conclusions:
- Reactive oxygen species generated by asbestos fibers are likely mediators of malignant mesothelioma.
- The failure of adaptive cellular responses to oxidant stress is a critical step in asbestos-induced carcinogenesis.
- Understanding these mechanisms can inform strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.
More Related Videos
08:17Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
Published on: August 25, 2017
12:15Quantification of three DNA Lesions by Mass Spectrometry and Assessment of Their Levels in Tissues of Mice Exposed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter
Published on: May 29, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:46Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis
In ozonolysis, ozone is used to cleave a carbon–carbon double bond to form aldehydes and ketones, or carboxylic acids, depending on the work-up.
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
01:35Mutations
Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
01:20Radical Autoxidation
The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
01:25Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
01:29Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...
01:30Spontaneous and Induced Mutations
Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).