Aflatoxin B1 induces subtle but coordinated histone modifications in Epstein–Barr virus infected and non-infected Burkitt lymphoma cells

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions have discovered that even low-level exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) – a toxic substance that is sometimes found in contaminated food – can subtly change the way in which DNA is packaged and regulated inside cells.

The study focused on Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive childhood cancer that is strongly linked to infection with Epstein–Barr virus. Using state-of-the-art molecular profiling, the researchers found that AFB1 caused reproducible changes in histone modifications – chemical tags on proteins that control gene activity – in both Epstein–Barr virus-infected and non-infected cancer cells.

Whereas Epstein–Barr virus infection altered the baseline epigenetic landscape, the overall response to AFB1 was remarkably similar in both types of cells. This suggests that environmental toxins like AFB1 and viral infections may act through shared biological pathways that influence cancer risk. Although the changes observed were subtle, they could, over time, help shape how cancers develop.

These findings highlight the importance of reducing dietary exposure to aflatoxins in regions where contamination is common, and of further research into how environmental and viral factors together affect cancer development.

Michailidis TM, Corveleyn L, Almey R, Bader Y, Odongo GA, Herceg Z, et al.
Aflatoxin B1 induces subtle but coordinated histone modifications in Epstein–Barr virus infected and non-infected Burkitt lymphoma cells
Environ Int. Published online 27 September 2025;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109813

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