According to a new study, the blood of first responders to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in the United States contains numerous mutations that may predispose them to blood cancers and heart disease. These results highlight the long-term impact of the attacks on first responders and those who inhale a mixture of harmful carcinogens as they try to rescue victims and stabilize the scene. The research was recently published in Nature Medicine.
While the World Trade Center (WTC) was destroyed, excessive amounts of dust, toxic gas and carcinogenic substances were released into the environment. Responders had to breathe in as they approached the rubble. Extended health insurance campaigns for these individuals have been intense since the incident.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) scientists, 20 years after the event, wanted to delve deeper into the problems these personnel may now be facing and decided to analyze the health gaps between 9/11 first responders and firefighters who did not participate in the attacks. they gave. For this, they began collaborating with researchers from New York.
The survey included more than 700 firefighters, nearly two-thirds of whom were in the World Trade Center collapse, and another third were age and lifestyle matched, but absent on 9/11. Blood samples were taken from each and closely analyzed to reveal the number of somatic mutations that could be found in the blood cells of each.
Researchers discovered a significantly higher proportion of firefighters from World Trade Centers had mutations in their blood cells suggestive of clonal hematopoiesis (CH). This is where the stem cells, which eventually develop into blood cells, begin to form cells with the same genetic mutations. CH is typically found in people who smoke, as well as those who have been exposed to genotoxic substances.
When researchers exposed modified and immature human white blood cells to particles from WTC, they determined that the powder interfered with DNA replication at fragile sites in the genome.
To further determine whether this had a detrimental effect, the researchers exposed rats to particulate matter from the WTC in an amount equivalent to what first responders probably received. Mice had significantly increased expansion of hematopoietic stem cells, which can become many different cells in the body after 30 days. This suggested that particulate matter affects the production of blood cells.
The results show that firefighters participating in the attacks have an increased mutational load (the number of non-inherited mutations in the genomic sequence), which increases their risk of developing blood cancer.
This risk means that thousands of 9/11 survivors, including first responders, need more screening to determine the lasting effects of the attacks and may need additional support as they age.
The VICC team now hopes to shed light on exactly how this particulate matter causes genetic changes…
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