Low-Dose Nicotine Activates EGFR Signaling via α5-nAChR and Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression.

ABSTRACT: Nicotine in tobacco smoke is considered carcinogenic in several malignancies including lung cancer. The high incidence of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) in non-smokers, however, remains unexplained. Although LAC has long been less associated with smoking behavior based on previous epidemiological correlation studies, the effect of environmental smoke contributing to low-dose nicotine exposure in non-smoking population could be underestimated. Here we provide experimental evidence of how low-dose nicotine promotes LAC growth in vitro and in vivo. Screening of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in lung cancer cell lines demonstrated a particularly high expression level of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit α5 (α 5-nAChR) in LAC cell lines. Clinical specimen analysis revealed up-regul

SUBMITTER: Wang ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7555382 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature