Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39871092›Full record

ReviewJournal of occupational health2025

Decoding the molecular enigma behind asbestos and fibrous nanomaterial-induced carcinogenesis.

Shinya Toyokuni, Yingyi Kong

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of occupational health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Ferroptosis and cancer: when iron turns against tumors.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Shinya ToyokuniDepartment of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-5757-1109
Yingyi KongDepartment of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.

Funding

JSPS Kakenhi JP20H05502JST CREST JPMJCR19H4
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe natural fibrous mineral, asbestos, has been useful in industry for many centuries. In the 1960s, epidemiology recognized the association between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, and in 1987 the International Agency for Research on Cancer designated all kinds of asbestos as Group 1 carcinogens. However, various scientific enigmas remained regarding the molecular mechanisms of asbestos-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis. This review article was undertaken to reveal and summarize recent discoveries to resolve those enigmas.

methodsWe collected recent important findings from our own laboratory and others to explain why mesothelial cells are the target for asbestos-induced carcinogenesis and what are the key molecular mechanisms.

resultsThe long incubation period of 30-40 years for mesothelial carcinogenesis after asbestos exposure allows the asbestos fibers to go through the pulmonary parenchyma from the central to peripheral portions and ultimately reach the parietal mesothelium by piercing visceral pleura. Asbestos fibers have affinity for hemoglobin and histones, thus accumulating iron on the surface while traveling through the lung. Mesothelial cells are phagocytic cells, engulfing iron-coated asbestos fibers. Accordingly, homozygous deletion of the p16INK4a tumor suppressor gene, a signature of excess iron-induced carcinogenesis, is acquired through oxidative DNA damage. Recently, exosome-dependent iron transfer from asbestos-fed macrophages to mesothelial cells was reported. Similar molecular mechanisms are observed with multiwalled carbon nanotubes of ~50-nm diameter.

conclusionsPhysical dimensions, biopersistence, and affinity to iron/histones are essential for fibrous material to be carcinogenic to mesothelial cells. Therefore, local iron reduction may be a strategy to prevent mesothelial carcinogenesis.

Indexed as

AsbestosCarcinogenesisLung NeoplasmsMesotheliomaNanostructuresCarcinogensCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16DNA DamageHumansNanotubes, CarbonOccupational ExposureAsbestosCarcinogensCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16Nanotubes, Carbonasbestosexosomeironmesotheliomap16 tumor suppressor gene

Identifiers

PMID39871092
PMCPMC11830428

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.