Air pollutants take 3 days to damage DNA
The latest study on air pollutants and DNA found inhalation of certain particulates cause some genes to become reprogrammed, affecting both the development and the outcome of cancers and other diseases.
Comparing blood DNA samples from 63 healthy workers from a foundry near Milan, Italy researchers
found significant changes in four genes associated with tumor suppression.
Andrea Baccarelli, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of applied biotechnology at the University of Milan said, “The changes were detectable after only three days of exposure to particulate matter, indicating that environmental factors need little time to cause gene reprogramming which is potentially associated with disease outcomes,”
“The changes in DNA methylation we observed are reversible and some of them are currently being used as targets of cancer drugs.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517143218.htm
