While many reach for electronic cigarettes believing that they are a safer alternative to the classic tobacco and a way to reduce its harmful effects, new research by scientists from Serbia shows that they can cause serious damage to lung cells even after short-term use. Moreover, some of the changes they cause may be long-lasting and irreversible.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Institute for Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, who analyzed how electronic cigarette aerosols affect bronchial epithelial cells - the cells that line the airways of the lungs. Aerosols created from the base liquid for electronic cigarettes and those containing nicotine and flavors were also tested.
The results show that already 24 hours of exposure lead to significant disruptions in the work of cells, that they damage mitochondria, reduce the ability to create proteins and cause permanent changes in proteins that can threaten the normal functioning of the cell.
"Both small doses and short exposure to the aerosols of electronic cigarettes lead to significant changes in our lung cells. These changes can be long-lasting and can interfere with cell function for a longer period of time than the period of exposure," Dr. Aleksandra Divac Rankov, scientific advisor and head of the group for functional genomics and cellular toxicology at the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, told Vreme.
What did the research show?
One of the key research findings is that electronic cigarette aerosols reduce the production of proteins in cells. This is of particular concern because proteins are the basic building and functional units of every cell.
"If we have a problem with making new proteins, the cell is in big trouble, in big stress," says Dr. Divac Rankov.
In addition, researchers have determined that electronic cigarettes also damage mitochondria - the parts of the cell responsible for energy production. Irreversible changes in proteins have also been recorded, due to which they may lose their function or become toxic to the cell, and thus lead to the development lung cancer.
"On different types of lung cells, there are changes in proteins that are irreversible, it is impossible to return them to their previous state, so they can lose their function or become toxic to the cell. Not much attention was paid to this before," warns Dr. Divac Rankov.
Photo: Pexels/Megan ForbesWhat is more harmful - ordinary or electronic cigarettes?
Are electronic cigarettes less harmful than traditional cigarettes?
The research further questions the oft-repeated claim that e-cigarettes are "less harmful" than traditional cigarettes. As Dr. Divac Ranov says, the problem is not whether they are more or less harmful, but that they harm the body in a different way, and the consequences of their use have not yet been sufficiently researched.
"There are no safe doses of exposure to electronic cigarettes, and of course not to tobacco smoke either. The question is usually whether they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, the answer is: they are harmful in a different way. Much more is known about how traditional cigarettes work, while the effects of electronic cigarettes are still being researched," she says.
Of particular concern is the earlier use of electronic cigarettes among young people. Scientists warn that it is still not known what effect they can have on the development of the organism, as well as on the development of the fetus in pregnant women.
"It is not even known what effect it has on the development of the embryo during pregnancy, and they are advertised as safer for pregnant women. The World Health Organization does not recommend switching to electronic cigarettes during pregnancy, but recommends the use of nicotine patches or gum if there is a need for nicotine," reminds Dr. Divac Rankov.
He also adds that electronic cigarettes cause the same nicotine addiction as traditional cigarettes, while new research shows that the consequences of their use may be more serious than previously thought.
Lung cancer is the deadliest malignancy in Serbia
According to the latest data from the Institute for Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut", lung cancer is still one of the deadliest malignant tumors in Serbia. In 2024, more than 6.400 people fell ill with lung cancer, while more than 4.800 died from this disease.
Lung and bronchial cancer is the leading cause of death from malignant diseases in men in Serbia. In 2024, almost 3.000 men died from it, which makes up 27,3 percent of all cancer deaths in men.
In women, a worrying trend was noted - lung and bronchus cancer overtook breast cancer as the leading cause of death from malignant diseases for the first time in eight years. In 2024, more than 1.800 women died of lung cancer, or 19,7 percent of all women who died from malignant tumors.
In total, more than 41.400 new cases of malignant diseases were registered in Serbia during 2024, which is the latest official data, while more than 20.300 people died of cancer.
According to estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Serbia is among the European countries with a very high risk of dying from malignant diseases - in fourth place in Europe, behind Hungary, Poland and Romania.
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