Fig. 9.

Schematic diagram of the possible mechanisms involved in Nano-Ni-induced cell transformation. Nano-Ni exposure causes DNA damage, which induces the DNA damage response. Repeated insults may cause erroneous DNA repair. Nano-Ni exposure also induces HIF-1α nuclear accumulation, which causes defective DNA repair through up-regulation of miR-210 and down-regulation of Rad52. Both DNA damage and defective DNA repair may contribute to increased genomic instability, leading to cell transformation