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A Promising Role of Lichens, Their Secondary Metabolites and miRNAs on Treatment of Cancer Disease After Exposure to Carcinogenic Heavy Metals

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Phytoremediation

Abstract

With the increasing use of a wide variety of cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals in industry and in our daily life, problems arising from this chemical pollution of the environment have assumed serious dimensions. There is growing evidence that cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals such as primary heavy metals play a role in disease. The most common disease caused by heavy metals is cancer that means of uncontrolled cell growth. In the current literature, there are not sufficient studies that knowledge gaps identified and a strategy for determining the carcinogenic potential of heavy metals about the link between exposure to heavy metals and incidence of cancer disease. Due to gaps identified and a strategy for determining the carcinogenic potential of heavy metals in this important situation, we mainly evaluate the carcinogenic potential of heavy metals in this review. We have reviewed various cancer-related publications to determine specific mechanisms of heavy metals by which metals can alter miRNA, specific gene expression and signaling pathways at molecular level. In this review we also suggested how we can reduce cancer incidence and assess the contribution of biological materials to the solution of this case. We recommended that lichens could be a biomarker for early detection of carcinogenetic risk of heavy metal exposure and they may provide relevant and accurate assessment between high-dose exposure of heavy metal and occurrence of cancer disease. Another important point is that lichens are a source of diverse secondary metabolites which demonstrate significant antiproliferative effect of various cancer cell lines at low concentrations. Lichen secondary metabolites can be used as promising molecule for cancer treatment. This chapter highlights the importance of lichen and secondary metabolites with potential solution of exposure to heavy metals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. System Biotechnology Advance Research Unit, Biotechnology Institute, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Vildan Torun, Elif Değerli & Demet Cansaran-Duman

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  1. Vildan Torun
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  2. Elif Değerli
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  3. Demet Cansaran-Duman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

    Abid A. Ansari

  2. Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India

    Sarvajeet Singh Gill

  3. Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India

    Ritu Gill

  4. College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Guy R. Lanza

  5. College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Lee Newman

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Torun, V., Değerli, E., Cansaran-Duman, D. (2018). A Promising Role of Lichens, Their Secondary Metabolites and miRNAs on Treatment of Cancer Disease After Exposure to Carcinogenic Heavy Metals. In: Ansari, A., Gill, S., Gill, R., R. Lanza, G., Newman, L. (eds) Phytoremediation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99651-6_9

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