Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, USC Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, M/C 9603, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Cells. 2024 Aug 10;13(16):1330. doi: 10.3390/cells13161330.
Despite the popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) among adolescent never-smokers and adult smokers seeking a less pernicious substitute for tobacco cigarettes, the long-term health impact of vaping is largely unknown. Like cigarette smoke, e-cig vapor contains harmful and potentially harmful compounds, although in fewer numbers and at substantially lower concentrations. Many of the same constituents of e-cig vapor and cigarette smoke induce epigenetic changes that can lead to the dysregulation of disease-related genes. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression in health and disease states. Extensive research has shown that miRNAs play a prominent role in the regulation of genes involved in the pathogenesis of smoking-related diseases. However, the use of miRNAs for investigating the disease-causing potential of vaping has not been fully explored. This review article provides an overview of e-cigs as a highly consequential electronic nicotine delivery system, describes trends in e-cig use among adolescents and adults, and discusses the ongoing debate on the public health impact of vaping. Highlighting the significance of miRNAs in cell biology and disease, it summarizes the published and ongoing research on miRNAs in relation to gene regulation and disease pathogenesis in e-cig users and in vitro experimental settings. It identifies gaps in knowledge and priorities for future research while underscoring the need for empirical evidence that can inform the regulation of tobacco products to protect youth and promote public health.
尽管电子烟 (e-cigs) 在青少年非吸烟者和寻求比烟草香烟危害更小替代品的成年吸烟者中很受欢迎，但长期吸食电子烟对健康的影响在很大程度上是未知的。与香烟烟雾一样，电子烟蒸汽中含有有害和潜在有害的化合物，尽管数量较少，浓度也低得多。电子烟蒸汽和香烟烟雾的许多相同成分都会引起表观遗传变化，从而导致与疾病相关的基因失调。MicroRNAs（miRNAs）是健康和疾病状态下基因表达的关键调节剂。大量研究表明，miRNAs 在调节与吸烟相关疾病发病机制相关的基因方面发挥着重要作用。然而，miRNAs 用于研究蒸气对健康的致病潜力尚未得到充分探索。本文综述了电子烟作为一种极具影响的电子尼古丁输送系统，描述了青少年和成年电子烟使用者的使用趋势，并讨论了电子烟对公共健康影响的持续争论。本文强调了 miRNAs 在细胞生物学和疾病中的重要意义，总结了已发表和正在进行的关于 miRNAs 与 e-cig 用户和体外实验环境中基因调控和疾病发病机制的研究。它确定了知识空白和未来研究的优先事项，同时强调需要实证证据来规范烟草产品，以保护青少年和促进公共健康。
