Jay L. Zweier, M.D.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cig) have been promoted as nicotine delivery devices without the adverse effects of conventional tobacco cigarette smoking; however, recent studies have reported a wide range of e-cig-induced toxicities. Recently, severe lung disease has been reported in e-cig users. Studies have suggested a strong association between inflammation and cancer with chronic inflammation preceding the onset of cancer. DNA damage, dysregulated cell proliferation, and alteration of tissue architecture, observed with uncontrolled inflammation, enhance cancer progression. It is known that during the heat-no-burn process, e-cigs generate many toxic chemicals similar to tobacco cigarette smoke. Tobacco cigarette smoking is known to cause lung cancer, but this has not been established for e-cigs. Therefore, studies will be performed in a chronic mouse model of e-cig exposure to determine the duration and intensity of e-cig vapor inhalation required for initiation of lung cancer. Longitudinal imaging studies of lung cancer development will be performed with histopathology confirmation and the underlying mechanisms of cancer onset will be explored.