A new study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics shows how smoking leaves a type of “footprint” on DNA that can be used to target smoking-related diseases, such as cancer.
The study involved an analysis of nearly 16,000 blood samples taken from former smokers, current smokers, and non-smokers. The researchers identified more than 2,600 genome sites where there were statistical differences between smokers and non-smokers. These chemical changes to the DNA affect how some genes function.
It was found that DNA was impacted even long after former smokers had quit. Most of the molecular sites had returned to normal levels after about five years, but some changes in DNA were still seen 30 years after quitting the habit.
Although this is not the first study to show that smoking causes changes to DNA, it did uncover new information about which genes in particular are affected, and how strongly the changes are linked with smoking.
The study indicates that smoking has a long lasting impact on the molecules in our body, even for those who quit early in life. This new insight can mean that DNA could be used in order to learn a patient’s smoking history and to better explore further studies that look into how smoking increases risk of heart disease and lung cancer. Further, learning which genes are most affected by smoking means that researchers could better target therapies to help patients recover.
Recent Study Shows How Long Smoking Lingers in DNA
Posted On: 09-23-2016
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