A new review published in Apoptosis surveys the expanding evidence that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) — a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus — drives several distinct forms of programmed cell death in mammalian cells. AFB1 is one of the most studied food-borne mycotoxins worldwide and contaminates staple crops such as corn, peanuts, and tree nuts under warm, humid storage conditions.
Beyond the long-established link to liver cancer, the authors describe pathways through which AFB1 triggers apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and autophagy-dependent cell death across tissues including liver, kidney, and reproductive organs. The review consolidates molecular markers and signaling cascades that researchers can use as endpoints in mycotoxin toxicology studies.
The paper does not address airborne mold exposure from water-damaged buildings, which involves a different exposure route and broader cocktail of mycotoxins, but it adds to a growing body of mechanistic work on how mycotoxin metabolites injure tissue at the cellular level.