A recent study has discovered that vaping can lead to alterations in thousands of genes, with specific flavors causing the most significant impact. The research revealed that individuals who vape regularly exhibit changes in the activity of 3,124 genes throughout their genome compared to non-smokers and non-vapers.
The study indicated that approximately 28.8% of these gene alterations are associated with vaping frequency and quantity, while the remaining 66.6% are linked to the types of flavors and devices utilized. These findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, emphasize the influence of flavor and device selection on the biological consequences of vaping, potentially affecting future regulatory measures.
As electronic cigarettes are relatively new, the long-term health risks they pose are not fully understood. However, alterations in the expression of genes related to diseases could provide early indications of the potential harms of vaping before chronic conditions emerge.
Previous research has suggested that vaping, similar to smoking, can impact genes involved in cancer development, as well as heart and lung diseases. The study’s senior author, Professor Ahmad Besaratinia, highlighted the need to identify the driving factors behind these gene changes, whether it is the act of vaping itself, the vaping intensity and duration, the characteristics of the products used, or a combination of these factors.
Professor Besaratinia and his team at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine conducted a comparison of gene expression changes among 83 participants, including vapers, smokers, and non-users. The study found that the majority of alterations in gene activity were attributed to vape flavors and device types, underscoring the significant role of vaping product composition and design in their biological effects.
Among vapers, those who favored fruit or multiple flavors and utilized advanced refillable devices, known as “mods,” displayed more pronounced changes in gene expression. The implication is that each flavor variant has unique characteristics that elicit distinct biological responses, which regulators should consider when assessing the health risks and benefits of flavored e-cigarette products.
The study recruited 35 vapers, 24 smokers, and 24 non-users, all healthy young adults, to collect oral cell samples for RNA sequencing analysis. Vapers exhibited altered gene expression in 3,124 genes compared to non-smokers and non-vapers, with vapers demonstrating more diverse patterns of gene activity than smokers.
Different vape flavors were associated with varying degrees of gene regulation changes: sweet flavors impacted 2.9% of affected genes, mint or menthol flavors affected 0.9%, fruit flavors influenced 31%, and multiple flavors affected 64.3% of genes. Higher-generation devices, such as mods, were correlated with more substantial and consistent alterations in gene regulation, surpassing the impact of vaping frequency or quantity.
The research team employed advanced bioinformatics analyses to identify the molecular processes, biological pathways, and diseases linked to the observed gene expression changes. Among vapers, cancer exhibited the highest number of gene expression changes, followed by endocrine disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and neurological conditions.
These findings hold significance as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States finalizes guidelines on flavored e-cigarette products. The researchers recommend a detailed evaluation of products, focusing on flavors and device attributes, especially considering that newer devices can deliver higher nicotine levels and may contain potentially harmful additives. Subsequent studies will investigate the chemicals in vaping liquids to pinpoint compounds associated with gene expression changes, potentially guiding regulatory actions to minimize potential harm.
