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Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Cadmium (Cd)-Induced Malignancy

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Abstract

The environmental pollution of cadmium is worsening, and its significant carcinogenic effects on humans have been confirmed. Cadmium can induce cancer through various signaling pathways, including the ERK/JNK/p38MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, NF-κB, and Wnt. It can also cause cancer by directly damaging DNA and inhibiting DNA repair systems, or through epigenetic mechanisms such as abnormal DNA methylation, LncRNA, and microRNA. However, the detailed mechanisms of Cd-induced cancer are still not fully understood and require further investigation.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Sichuan Natural Science Foundation (No. 2022NSFSC0741), Southwest Medical University Research Project (No. 2021ZKZD001) and Southwest Medical University Applied basic Project (No. 2022QN043).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Southwest Medical University, No. 1, Section 1, Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, China

    Hairong Wang, Xuehui Gan & Yan Tang

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  1. Hairong Wang
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  2. Xuehui Gan
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  3. Yan Tang
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All authors have reviewed the manuscript, and they contributed equally.

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Correspondence to Yan Tang.

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Highlights

There is a close relationship between cadmium and neoplasms.

The Cd carcinogenesis is mainly due to the ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR, the NF-κB, and the Wnt signaling pathways.

The DNA repair and epigenetic mechanisms are receiving wide attention.

The researches of the Cd carcinogenesis molecular mechanisms are beneficial to prevent tumors.

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Wang, H., Gan, X. & Tang, Y. Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Cadmium (Cd)-Induced Malignancy. Biol Trace Elem Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-024-04189-2

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