1. Academic Validation
  2. Low-dose graphene oxide promotes tumor cells proliferation by activating PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling via cellular membrane protein integrin αV

Low-dose graphene oxide promotes tumor cells proliferation by activating PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling via cellular membrane protein integrin αV

  • Environ Pollut. 2023 May 12;121817. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121817.
Zhiwen Zheng 1 Abuduliaizezi Halifu 1 Juan Ma 2 Leyi Liu 1 Qingfeng Fu 1 Bocun Yi 1 E Du 1 Dawei Tian 1 Yong Xu 1 Zhihong Zhang 1 Jianqiang Zhu 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
  • 3 Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China. Electronic address: zjqwfmu@126.com.
Abstract

Along with the increasing production and application of graphene oxide (GO), its environmental health and safety (EHS) risks have become a global concern. Numerous studies have investigated the biosafety and toxicity mechanisms associated with GO, however, the majority of previous studies were based on its direct toxic dose, which could not reflect the realistic state of environmental exposure of GO with an indirect toxic dose (low dose). Meanwhile, the effects of low-dose GO on the progression of tumors are still unclearly. Herein, we found that GO can promote multiple types of tumor cell proliferation under its low-dose treatment. Moreover, the lateral size of GO has no obvious distinction on its promoting effect on tumor proliferation. The mechanistic investigation revealed that low-dose GO treatment increased the expression level of Integrin αV protein, a cell membrane receptor, and further lead to the constitutively activated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and promoted mitotic progression. Collectively, these findings increased our understanding of the detrimental effects of GO in promoting tumor proliferation, as well as improved our biosafety assessment at its realistic exposure doses.

Keywords

Environmental health; Graphene oxide; Integrin αV; Low dose; Tumor proliferation.

Figures
Products
Inhibitors & Agonists
Other Products