Impact of Gene–Environment Interactions on Cancer Development

Abstract

Several epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that many human diseases are not only caused by specific genetic and environmental factors but also by gene–environment interactions. Although it has been widely reported that genetic polymorphisms play a critical role in human susceptibility to cancer and other chronic disease conditions, many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are caused by somatic mutations resulting from human exposure to environmental stressors. Scientific evidence suggests that the etiology of many chronic illnesses is caused by the joint effect between genetics and the environment. Research has also pointed out that the interactions of environmental factors with specific allelic variants highly modulate the susceptibility to diseases. Hence, many scientific discoveries on gene–environment interactions have elucidated the impact of their combined effect on the incidence and/or prevalence rate of human diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the nature of gene–environment interactions, and discuss their role in human cancers, with special emphases on lung, colorectal, bladder, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

Assessment the effect of vitamin D supplementation on plasma vitamin D levels, inflammation, and oxidative stress biomarkers based on vitamin D receptor genetic variation in breast cancer survivors: a protocol for clinical trial

“…The complex interplay between human genes and environmental exposures significantly contributes to the etiology of cancer. Dietary pattern and nutrients intake, as well as quantity and quality of diet, are reported to play a role in cancer development [ 32 ]. It has been indicated that the risk for developing cancer varies among individuals with similar dietary intakes, which could partly be explained by genetic variation in the form of SNPs, the most common genetic variation involved in nutrient genetic heterogeneity [ 32 , 33 ].…”

Possible Mechanisms of Subsequent Neoplasia Development in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Review

“…The risk of AML is further growing in the persons with GSTM1 deletion [48]. The above-mentioned facts prove that single polymorphisms usually only have a small effect on cancer risk [49].…”

Cancer Salt Nostalgia

“…It is well-established that salt induces a chronic inflammatory response [ 27 , 28 ]. Cancers are known to have multifactorial etiology [ 29 , 30 ]. The relationship between hypertension and cancer has been a considerable area of debate for the past five decades.…”