Advances on Molecular Mechanism of Chronic Inflammation-driven Lung Cancer Induced by Environmental Carcinogens

Air pollution: from rapid industrialization in China and cigarette smoking led to increased environmental exposure to carcinogens, such as Benzo(a)pyrene (B [a]P), nickel, arsenic, can increase the risk for lung cancer. And lung cancer has replaced liver cancer as the leading cause of death among the patients with malignant tumors in China. According to recent studies, carcinogens play major roles in the development of lung cancer and chronic inflammation mediates the carcinogenesis partly. Carcinogen exposure could activate the transcription factor such as NFAT, NF-kappa B, AP-1 that will enhance inflammation factor transcription and then increase their release. Moreover, this process will be promoted by creating a positive regulatory loop due to sustained activation of transcription factor from the stimulation of inflammation factor release. The chronically inflammational microenvironment induced by carcinogen will cause the initiation and development of lung cancer. The review summarizes the cellular and animal evidences linking chronic inflammation induced by environmental carcinogens to lung cancer.