While the hazards of second-hand smoking are well-known, now scientists have found that even third-hand smoke (THS) could do harm to one’s respiratory health by changing gene expressions. Advertising“Our data show that cells in humans are affected by third-hand smoke,” said Prue Talbot, a professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside (UCR), who led the research published in JAMA Network Open. “The inhalation altered pathways associated with oxidative stress, which can damage DNA, with cancer being a potential long-term outcome. The nasal membrane tissue is similar to those in the bronchus, so the researchers suggested that the damage could go deeper into the respiratory system. The other common exposure route is through the skin, which the researchers did not study, but plan to in the future.

Source: Indian Express July 01, 2019 08:03 UTC