Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute at College University in London, UK, carried out a study with people who smoked for many years and found that after quitting, the healthy cells in the lungs of these people multiplied, reducing the injuries caused by smoking and reducing the risks of developing lung cancer.
Previously, it was already known that quitting smoking pauses the genetic mutations that cause lung cancer, however this new research brings more positive results on tobacco cessation, showing the regeneration capacity of lung cells when they are no longer exposed to cigarettes.
How the study was done
Researchers at the University College in London, responsible for an institute that studies the genome and human genetics, seeking to understand what happens to the lung cells when exposed to cigarettes, carried out a study in which they analyzed the cellular mutations of the airways of 16 people, among which were smokers, ex-smokers and people who never smoked, including children.
To carry out the study analyzes, the researchers collected cells from the lungs of these people by performing a biopsy or brushing the bronchi in an exam called bronchoscopy, which is an exam to assess the airways by introducing a flexible tube through the mouth, and then verified the genetic characteristics by carrying out the DNA sequencing of the harvested cells.
What the study showed
After laboratory observation, the researchers found that the healthy cells in the lungs of people who had stopped smoking were four times larger than those of people who still used cigarettes daily and the number of these cells was almost equal to those found in people who never smoked. smoked.
In this way, the study results showed that when they are no longer exposed to tobacco, healthy lung cells are able to renew lung tissue and airway lining, even in people who have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years.. In addition, it was possible to identify that this cell renewal is able to protect the lung against cancer.
What was already known
Previous studies have already shown that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer because it causes inflammation, infections and decreases immunity, leading to mutations in the cells of the lungs. However, when you stop smoking, these harmful cell mutations are paused and the risk of developing lung cancer is reduced dramatically.
These positive effects of smoking cessation are seen almost immediately and with significant improvement over the time that smoking ceased, even in middle-aged people who smoked for many years. And this new study reinforced that conclusion, but brought new encouraging results on the importance of quitting smoking, showing the lungs' ability to regenerate with tobacco cessation. Check out some tips to quit smoking.
