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Review
. 2019 Dec:204:107398.
doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107398. Epub 2019 Jul 31.

Environmental exposures, stem cells, and cancer

Tasha Thong  1 , Chanese A Forté  2 , Evan M Hill  1 , Justin A Colacino  3
Affiliations
Review

Environmental exposures, stem cells, and cancer

Tasha Thong et al. Pharmacol Ther. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

An estimated 70-90% of all cancers are linked to exposure to environmental risk factors. In parallel, the number of stem cells in a tissue has been shown to be a strong predictor of risk of developing cancer in that tissue. Tumors themselves are characterized by an acquisition of "stem cell" characteristics, and a growing body of evidence points to tumors themselves being sustained and propagated by a stem cell-like population. Here, we review our understanding of the interplay between environmental exposures, stem cell biology, and cancer. We provide an overview of the role of stem cells in development, tissue homeostasis, and wound repair. We discuss the pathways and mechanisms governing stem cell plasticity and regulation of the stem cell state, and describe experimental methods for assessment of stem cells. We then review the current understanding of how environmental exposures impact stem cell function relevant to carcinogenesis and cancer prevention, with a focus on environmental and occupational exposures to chemical, physical, and biological hazards. We also highlight key areas for future research in this area, including defining whether the biological basis for cancer disparities is related to effects of complex exposure mixtures on stem cell biology.

Keywords: Carcinogenesis; Chemical; Development; Epigenetics; Prevention; Reprogramming.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Stem cell hierarchy in embryonic differentiation.
The trajectory of a single fertilized egg differentiating into tissue specific lineages. Stem cell potency decreases as differentiation occurs and cells progress down the hierarchy.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Multi-directional differentiation of plastic stem cells in response to environmental conditions.
In addition to differentiation down the normal hierarchy, stem cells are able to de-differentiate upwards into less differentiated precursors. Differentiated cells, such as in the intestines, are able to trans-differentiate into differentiated cells of another lineage. Gray arrows depict traditional hierarchical differentiation, dashed red arrows indicate deviations from traditional differentiation, lightning bolts indicate processes potentially impacted by environmental stressors.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Potential environmental exposures that may affect the stem cell microenvironment.
The background image encapsulates the biological, physical, and chemical exposures found in the environment. Exposures are presented in the image and labeled with orange text boxes. The zoomed in circle presents the stem cell microenvironment and the pathways of environmental dysregulation of stem cell biology are presented in blue text boxes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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