New genes for smoking and lung disease found

Some smokers who don’t suffer any ill effects after a lifetime of sucking on the sticks of disease may simply be in possession of a better genetic makeup than their cancer riddled peers, with research suggesting that getting lucky and having the right kind of genes can protect smokers from suffering COPD in later life.

Healthy Day News reports that the team tapped on over 1400 Portuguese adults suffering from NSCLC, of which 904 patients admitted to be smokers while 504 patients denied smoking.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and researchers are trying to understand the genetic basis of lung health and smoking behavior that causes COPD.

The lead researchers, Professor Ian Hall at The University of Nottingham, and Professor Martin Tobin from the University of Leicester, studied the lung health of approximately 500,000 UK Biobank participants. She also thinks that in order to confirm their analysis, a population-based research needs to be done before any public teaching or news should be disseminated, as studies that are presented in medical meetings are still preliminary.

According to a press release from European Lung Foundation, the incidence involving the development of NSCLC among nonsmokers has increased dramatically over the past years.

Half of the participants were heavy smokers while other half had never smoked.

Through comparing both smokers as well as non-smokers along with those who have the disease and those who do not, scientists were able to discover sections of DNA that reduce the risk of developing COPD.

The team discovered six independent genetic variants associated with lung health and COPD.

They say their findings, which have also identified the genetic differences which affect whether a person is more likely to get addicted to cigarettes, could also lead to better interventions to help people quit.

Researchers analyzed the large amount of genetic and health data received from volunteers in the Biobank United Kingdom project Breathe easily.

Hall said: “The drugs we use to prevent or treat diseases target the proteins in our bodies, and our genes influence the production of proteins”. In this study, the UK Biobank Lung Exome Variant Evaluation (UK BiLEVE) [2], the authors generated extensive new genetic data in the UK Biobank to investigate the genetic causes of smoking behaviour and lung health. Our research helps to tell us why, paving the way for improved prevention and treatment.

Lung cancer differs between smokers and nonsmokers in many ways, a new study from the Portuguese Institute of Oncology states.