The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has added seven new substances to the list of carcinogens.
On November 3, the National Institutes of Health issued a statement from which we can learn that six of the seven newly added substances have been proven to be carcinogenic. , and the other is that researchers judged it to be carcinogenic through reasonable speculation.
Relevant researchers from the National Institutes of Health also revealed that five of the seven new substances are viruses, and they are all proven carcinogens. These viruses include human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I), human herpesvirus IV (EBV or EBv), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, and human immunodeficiency virus Defective virus type 1 (referred to as HIV-1).
Three-dimensional view of the HIV virus
At the same time, according to relevant research from the National Institutes of Health, experiments have proven that more than twenty different types of cancer are related to these viruses. . For example, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), mainly targets T cells, the most important part of the human immune system. Target, destroy its target cells in large quantities, weaken or even lose the body's immune function, which will increase the risk of the body being infected by other cancer-causing viruses. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say there is sufficient evidence that HIV-1 causes cervical cancer, conjunctival eye cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer and other cancers.
Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and director of the National Toxicology Program, said in a statement that globally, various types of human About 12 percent of cancers are caused by viruses. However, researchers have not yet developed vaccines for the five new viruses currently on the list of carcinogens, so preventive measures to avoid the generation and spread of these viruses are extremely important.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health says the chemical trichlorethylene has been confirmed to be carcinogenic and has been newly added to the list of carcinogens. Trichlorethylene is an industrial solvent that can generally be used to make organic hydrofluorocarbons, so many equipment and products contain trichlorethylene to a certain extent. At the same time, trichlorethylene is also used in military applications, such as degreasing metal. Relevant studies have shown that there is a certain causal relationship between chemicals and kidney cancer.
Another chemical newly added to the list of carcinogens is cobalt. Cobalt is a naturally occurring metal that is widely used in various aspects of industry, such as rechargeable batteries, blue glass, ceramic tiles and ceramics, all of which contain cobalt. The NIH also says cobalt may also be used in some medical devices and solar panels.
However, the difference is that cobalt is the most special of the seven new carcinogens. Whether it is carcinogenic has not been proven, and its carcinogenicity can only be judged through reasonable speculation. This means that although there are currently no studies showing a certain causal relationship between cobalt and human cancer, it has indeed been proven to cause cancer in animals, and relevant laboratories have made conclusions about its carcinogenic mechanism through research. Reasonable speculation and demonstration.
The National Institutes of Health says cobalt is considered potentially carcinogenic because it releases electrically charged particles, also known as ions, in the human body. These particles may cause some damage to human DNA.
However, cobalt is also a component of vitamin B12, but the form of cobalt in vitamin B12 is different. In this form, cobalt does not release ions, so it is not considered carcinogenic. Sex, that is to say, if cobalt does not release ions, it will not cause cancer.
The National Institutes of Health pointed out in a statement that the conclusions in the report do not mean that these new carcinogens or viruses will cause cancer in the human body as long as they exist. There are actually many influencing factors. , such as the human body's own sensitivity to the substance, the amount of the substance and the length of time it is in contact with the human body also have a certain impact.
The National Institutes of Health stated that with the addition of seven new carcinogens, there are a total of 248 carcinogens on the total list of carcinogens.
This is the fourteenth time the agency has released its research report on carcinogens.
Tadpole staff compiled from livescience, translator sunshine, reprinting requires authorization