Buzz
According to a recent study published in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* and highlighted by Technology Networks, vaping, even with tobacco-free e-cigarettes, still leads to DNA damage, increases genetic mutations, and raises the likelihood of cancer.
While e-cigarettes are marketed as a healthier alternative for nicotine users because they lack tobacco, the new research challenges this belief. These devices release water vapor containing nicotine, which doesn’t have the same cancer-causing chemicals as traditional tobacco cigarettes, but the study shows otherwise.
At New York University School of Medicine, researchers exposed mice to e-cigarette smoke for three months, then analyzed their DNA. They discovered adducts, a form of DNA damage where genetic material bonds with a chemical. This damages the DNA structure and can increase mutation risks. Though DNA has repair mechanisms, the study noted a decrease in repair protein levels.
To determine if e-cigarette smoke has similar effects on humans, the researchers exposed lung, heart, and bladder cells to nicotine and nitrosamine, a carcinogenic substance formed by the body when processing nicotine. Nitrosamines can induce tumor formation, and certain chemicals can bind to DNA, causing alterations.
The human cells exhibited the same DNA damage observed in mice exposed to e-cigarette smoke. Nicotine made the cells more susceptible to spontaneous mutations, which increased by two to four times when exposed to additional environmental triggers, such as UV rays.
"Given these findings, I cannot conclude that e-cigarette smoke is less harmful than tobacco smoke in terms of cancer risk for smokers," said study co-author Moon-shong Tang, as reported by Technology Networks.
