ExposoGraph: An Interactive Platform for Carcinogen Bioactivation and Detoxification Pathway Visualization

Abstract

BackgroundDespite extensive cataloging of carcinogenic exposures by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and pharmacogenomic variation by resources such as PharmVar and CPIC, few platforms unify exposure, metabolic activation and detoxification, DNA damage, and genetic annotation within a single interactive visualization framework. This gap limits systematic evaluation of gene-environment interactions in cancer risk assessment. MethodsWe developed the Carcino-Genomic Knowledge Graph, ExposoGraph, an interactive knowledge-graph platform for carcinogen metabolism and DNA damage pathways. The reference graph integrates curated data and annotations from IARC, KEGG, PharmVar, CPIC, CTD, and supporting literature/resources. The current reference graph contains 96 nodes across 5 entity types (Carcinogens, Enzymes, Metabolites, DNA Adducts, and Pathways) and 102 edges across 6 relationship types (activates, detoxifies, transports, forms adduct, repairs, and pathway). ResultsThe first-generation reference graph captures metabolic activation and detoxification pathways for 9 carcinogen classes spanning 15 index carcinogens. It represents 36 enzymes across Phase I activation (n=14), Phase II conjugation and detoxification (n=14), Phase III transport (n=3), and DNA repair (n=5). Interactive exploration supports carcinogen-class filtering, node- and edge-type filtering, metadata-based search, and detailed hover/detail views with provenance and pharmacogenomic annotations. The androgen branch highlights cross-pathway connectivity by linking androgen metabolism to estrogen quinone formation and DNA adduct generation through CYP19A1-mediated aromatization and downstream catechol estrogen chemistry. In the optional androgen-focused extension, additional receptor, tissue, and variant context further connects this branch to androgen receptor signaling and genotype-specific annotations. ConclusionsExposoGraph provides a first-generation integrated, interactive framework linking carcinogenic exposures to metabolic fates and genetic modulators. The platform supports hypothesis generation for gene-environment interaction studies and may inform future individualized risk modeling, while remaining a research-use framework rather than a clinically validated risk-assessment tool.