Abstract

Several types of cancer, including lung cancer, have been linked to an increased risk of smoking by epidemiological studies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a minor cell population in tumors that contribute to drug resistance and recurrence, are the source of lung cancer. Aerosols made from heated tobacco products (HTPs) contain nicotine and harmful chemicals. However, the available evidence is insufficient to accurately determine whether HTPs are safer than smoking cigarettes. The effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) from HTPs on lung CSCs in lung cancer cell lines were the subject of this study. CSEs increased stem cell marker expression and lung CSC proliferation, according to our findings [1]. Cytokines and expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were also induced by CSE. These findings suggest that HTPs can in vitro induce CSCs in the lung.