MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer and Environmental Exposure

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules of approximately 20–22 nucleotides that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In the lung, they play critical roles in development, homeostasis and disease by fine-tuning pathways related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation and DNA repair. Environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, radon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can alter miRNA expression profiles in airway epithelial cells and circulating fluids. These alterations may drive malignant transformation or serve as early indicators of exposure and disease onset. Dysregulated miRNAs have been linked to tumour suppressor loss, oncogene activation and epigenetic modifications, highlighting their dual potential as mechanistic mediators of lung carcinogenesis and as minimally invasive biomarkers for risk assessment and early detection. Advances in high-throughput profiling and integrative bioinformatics have begun to unravel the complex networks through which environmental toxins influence miRNA machinery, shedding light on global health impacts and informing preventive or therapeutic interventions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A study investigating human populations exposed to persistent organic pollutants revealed that serum levels of key tumour-suppressive miRNAs, including miR-193a-3p, miR-152, miR-31-5p and miR-34a-5p, were significantly associated with internal concentrations of PCBs, DDE and HCB. Integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression suggested regulatory interactions with central oncogenes such as MYC, CCND1, BCL2 and VEGFA, and implicated Wnt and p53 signalling pathways. These findings underscore the capacity of low-level, chronic exposure to POPs to reshape the miRNA–transcriptome landscape in ways that may predispose to lung cancer, and they identify candidate miRNA signatures for environmental health risk assessment.

MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer and Environmental Exposure publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in micrornas in lung cancer and environmental exposure across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

microRNA (miRNA): A class of short, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding to target mRNAs and inhibiting translation or promoting degradation.

Biomarker: A measurable indicator, often a molecule or pattern, that reflects a biological state or exposure and can aid in diagnosis, prognosis or risk assessment.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Environmental pollutants composed of fused aromatic rings formed during incomplete combustion of organic matter; many PAHs are mutagenic and carcinogenic.

Epigenetic Regulation: Modifications of gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, including DNA methylation and histone modifications that affect chromatin structure.

Oncogene: A gene that, when mutated or overexpressed, contributes to the initiation and progression of cancer by promoting cell proliferation or survival.

References

1. MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Environmental Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Link with Inflammation and Lung Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. Radon Biomonitoring and microRNA in Lung Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2020).
3. MicroRNA profile for health risk assessment: Environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants strongly affects the human blood microRNA machinery. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Involvement of microRNAs in physiological and pathological processes in the lung. Respiratory Research (2010).