Scientists have found that air pollution can cause lung cancer in those who have never smoked by 'awakening' latent cancer cells.
The team said their findings, published in the journal Nature, could help develop new treatments for non-smokers diagnosed with lung cancer.
Inhaling the toxic air produced by cars and buses for only three years is enough for the silent mutant cells to react. The team claimed their discovery could lead to the development of a statin-like pill to "prevent this from happening in the body".
He is the chief clinician at University College London and Cancer Research UK from the Francis Crick Institute
Professor Charles Swanton, the lead researcher on the study, said: “Our study fundamentally changed how we look at lung cancer in people who have never smoked. Cells with cancer-causing mutations naturally accumulate as we age, but they are usually inactive. And we proved that air pollution awakens these cells in the lungs, encouraging them to grow and possibly form tumors.”
He added: “The mechanism we identified could eventually help us find better ways to prevent and treat lung cancer in non-smokers. And if we can stop cells from growing in response to air pollution, we can reduce the risk of lung cancer.”
It is known that smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer. However, even people who have never smoked can also develop the disease, which mainly affects the elderly.
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