Researchers in Japan have found that widely used chemicals called photoinitiators cause breast tumours to accelerate in mice.
Photoinitiators, which release reactive molecules in response to UV radiation, are used in a wide range of products, including plastics, paints, inks, and adhesives. Photoinitiators are present in common objects as well as in medical products and instruments such as dental fillers and containers.
Recent studies have demonstrated several health hazards associated with photoinitiators, raising safety concerns. In particular, the presence of these compounds in clinical instruments, routinely used for treating high-risk individuals such as cancer patients, has become a major cause for concern. Previous research has shown that three photoinitiators commonly found in plastics and paints 1-HCHPK, MBB, and MTMP show oestrogen-like effects on cultured breast cancer cells, increasing their proliferation. Found in marketed injection solutions, the clear link between oestrogen activity and breast cancer made determining their effect a priority.
In a study published in Current Research in Toxicology, lead researcher Dr Yoichi Kawasaki and Prof Toshiaki Sendo from Okayama University examined how exposure to 1-HCHPK, MBB, and MTMP affected the growth of transplanted breast cancer tumours in mice. They found that all three compounds caused a faster increase in the growth of breast tumors, within 13 weeks of treatment. “This study extends our previous findings and shows that in addition to promoting the proliferation of breast cancer cells in culture, these photoinitiators also increase the growth of breast tumours in live animals. This implies that they could also potentially hasten disease progression in breast cancer patients,” explained Dr Kawasaki.
The study results show that 1-HCHPK, MBB, and MTMP have oestrogen-like activity and could thus act as hormonal disruptions. Given oestrogen’s role in regulating reproductive function in both men and women, such disruptions could affect not only patients with breast cancer, but also healthy individuals. While the researchers intend to explore the effects of photoinitiators on reproduction in future research, the present study informs breast cancer management, as well as making urgent call-to-action to eliminate toxic materials from medical equipment.
“Photoinitiators have helped us improve the quality of several commonly used products. But it is time we reconsider whether their benefits outweigh their risks, and our findings are an important milestone in encouraging this conversation. We hope that it will prompt more intensive research and stricter regulations on what materials can be adopted for commonly used products, especially those with medical applications,” said Dr Kawasaki.
Source: EurekAlert!
