ReviewPesticides and cancer: Insights into toxicoproteomic-based findings
Graphical abstract
Highlights
► This review article contains the updated information on the risk of cancer caused by pesticides exposure. ► Compilation of toxicoproteomic-based studies conducted on pesticide exposure. ► Progress in identification of pesticides and cancer associated biomarkers.
Introduction
Globally, it has been estimated that about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths have occurred in 2008, accounting for 56% of the cases and 64% of the deaths in the economically developing world. It is predicted that there will be 16 million new cases every year by 2020 [1]. It is well known that apart from lifestyle, genetic and dietary factors, many environmental pollutants increase the risk of developing cancer [2]. Cancer is spread through any source of pollution namely through water pollution, air pollution and land pollution. A number of chemicals present in air, water, food and workplace are capable of inducing cancer. Many studies have discovered the link of various types of environmental pollution with the development of cancer [3], [4], [5]. In water pollution the common sources of cancer are heavy metals, toxic organic chemicals and leachates from waste disposal site. Through land and air pollution, cancer is spread by exposure of human beings to pesticides, radioactive materials and heavy metals. Pesticides, used extensively for controlling pest and destroying weeds are ubiquitous contaminants accumulating in our environment and hence humans get unavoidably exposed to these pesticides. Some pesticides are highly toxic, non bio-degradable and persist in the environment for a very long period of time. The principal classes of pesticides that are being used are organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. There are now growing concerns that some of these man-made chemicals are affecting the health of human and wildlife population [6], [7]. Although many of them have been classified as carcinogens according to United States of Environmental Protection Agency [8] and International Agency for Research on Cancer [9], the understanding of their mechanism is still inadequate.
In the past few years, molecular biomarkers have been widely used to identify causal associations between disease and harmful environmental pollutants including pesticides to make better quantitative estimates of those associations at their relevant levels of exposure [10]. These have included several enzymes, DNA studies and biochemical aspects of the organisms against each stressor. Moreover, information at the level of proteome in short duration of exposure facilitates in evaluating the early critical changes involved in pesticide-induced carcinogenic changes. In recent years, a rapid development of toxicoproteomic-based technologies has contributed a lot in global analysis of alterations in protein expression and modifications that are responsive to adverse environmental challenges [11]. Studies have provided strong evidences that various toxicoproteomic technologies can be applied for their respective abilities in profiling protein changes and biomarker identification resulting from toxic chemical exposure [12]. In this review we aim to describe different types of pesticides responsible for cancer causation and toxicoproteomics studies conducted till date for the elucidation of proteins involved in the pesticide induced carcinogenesis.
Section snippets
Historical perspective
Pesticides have been used to a limited degree since ancient times. The first reported insecticides which are used by Sumerians around 4500 year ago to kill insects and mites were sulfur based compounds. By the 15th century, Chinese began to utilize mercury and arsenic for controlling garden insects. Use of tobacco as contact insecticide gained popularity later in the 17th century [9]. Since the establishment of chemical industries was not much at that time, plant and animal derived products
Toxicoproteomics
After the completion of the human genome project in 2002 and its acknowledgment for not providing all the explanations to the etiology of disease, it has altered the consideration to evaluate changes in the expressed proteins of a particular genome. Consequently, proteomics materialized as a briskly budding area of research that examines the presence or absence of each protein along with the post-synthetic fluctuations [56]. The proteomics comprehends tools, mechanisms and methodologies that
Limitations and future directions
As per our understanding, this is the first complete review of the research activities in the area of toxicoproteomics focusing on the effects of carcinogenic pesticides. It is palpable when surveying the literature that only a limited number of studies are embattled in such effects using a proteomic approach to date. This is in gap to areas such as oncology and pharmaceutics, in which incredible efforts have been made in recent years to distinguish the appropriate proteins such as disease
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