A new study indicates that the inhalation of certain particulates can actually cause some genes to become reprogrammed. The effects of the particulate matter have now opened new hypotheses about how air pollutants modify human health. Researchers from the University of Milan tested 63 healthy subjects who worked at a foundry in Italy. Blood DNA samples were taken from all the participants on their first day of work, and again three days later. When they compared the samples they found that significant changes had occurred in four of the genes associated with tumour suppression.
Changes in the genes were due to a chemical transformation called methylation which has been found in the blood of lung cancer patients. Dr Baccarelli (M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of applied biotechnology) discovered that after only three days, these changes were easily detectable of exposure to the particulate matter. This indicates that environmental factors need little time to cause gene reprogramming, which could potentially be associated with causing certain types of disease. However these changes in the DNA methylation are reversible and are currently being used for targets of cancer drugs.
Changes in the genes were due to a chemical transformation called methylation which has been found in the blood of lung cancer patients. Dr Baccarelli (M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of applied biotechnology) discovered that after only three days, these changes were easily detectable of exposure to the particulate matter. This indicates that environmental factors need little time to cause gene reprogramming, which could potentially be associated with causing certain types of disease. However these changes in the DNA methylation are reversible and are currently being used for targets of cancer drugs.
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