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NEWS
E-cigarette vapour does not cause DNA damage in human cells - study
It has been known for some time that cigarette smoke causes significant DNA damage to lung cells . Now a new study has shown that the vapour inhaled from e-cigarettes does not damage DNA , even at high concentrations of 28 times greater than equivalent smoke exposure . The study - which has been published in Toxicology Letters - is further evidence that the risks from vaping are considerably less than those faced by cigarette smokers . Scientists at British American Tobacco used lab-based cellular tests to examine the impact of cigarette smoke and Vype e-cigarette vapour on human lung cells . “ We have been able to show that there is significant DNA damage in human lung cells exposed to smoke , but that this is not case with e-cigarette vapour ,” said Dr James Murphy , Head of Risk Substantiation at British American Tobacco . “ These findings add to evidence on the likely reduced risks of vaping , compared to smoking ,” he said . Cellular DNA can become damaged when exposed to toxicants , like those in cigarette smoke for example . DNA double-strand break ( DSB ) in which both strands of the DNA molecule are broken , is the most serious type of DNA damage . The cell attempts to repair the DNA damage by modifying the protein or histone around which the DNA is 18 ISSUE 09 VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE wrapped . The changes observed in this histone can be used as an indicator of the level of DSB . These changes can be detected using a well-established test called a γH2AX assay . This test was used to compare the impact of the 3R4F * reference cigarette and Vype ePen and Vype eStick ( commercially available e-cigarettes ) on human lung cells . This test was used in combination with an exposure system ( Vitrocell VC ) that allows lung cells to be exposed to aerosol in the lab in a way that mimics exposure in the body when consumers inhale . This combination of tests allowed for the assessment of the whole aerosol , be it smoke or vapour . Previous studies focused on only the particulate fraction of smoke . The results show that cigarette smoke induced significant DNA damage in human lung cells , in a dose dependent manner - that is , the higher the dose ,
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Public Health England , an executive body of the UK Department of Health , recently published a report saying that the current expert estimate is that using e-cigarettes is around 95 % safer than smoking cigarettes , although more research is needed . the more DNA damage was induced . E-cigarette vapour produced no affect , even when the dose used was 28 times higher than the equivalent smoke exposure . The results confirm that cigarette smoke is genotoxic ( causes genetic damage ) and , at higher doses , cytotoxic ( can cause cell death ). In contrast , e-cigarette vapour is neither genotoxic nor cytotoxic , even at extremely high doses . “ We know that we can be confident in our results because we have shown that e-cigarette aerosol droplets are effectively delivered to cell surfaces in lab-based biological tests ,” explains Murphy . Many in the public health community believe e-cigarettes offer great potential for reducing the public health impact of smoking . Public Health England , an executive body of the UK Department of Health , recently published a report saying that the current expert estimate is that using e-cigarettes is around 95 % safer than smoking cigarettes , although more research is needed . The Royal College of Physicians have said that the public can be reassured that e-cigarettes are much safer then smoking and that they should be widely promoted as an alternative to cigarettes . * 3R4F is a routinely used reference cigarette developed by the University of Kentucky to ensure consistency in laboratory testing of cigarettes .