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MANILA, PHILIPPINES [TAC] – Molecular biologists at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) have uncovered new evidence that e-cigarette vapor triggers cellular changes linked to tumor development, challenging popular perceptions that vaping is a harmless alternative to conventional smoking.
Researchers at UP’s National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) identified a specific molecule—named Vape-Associated lncRNA Transcript 1 (VALT1)—that rises significantly in response to e-cigarette exposure and promotes cancer-like behavior in human respiratory cells.
Their research was recently published in Non-Coding RNA, an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to elucidating the structure, function, and biology of regulatory non-coding RNAs.
The research builds upon earlier studies into conventional cigarette smoke, where scientists identified a similar non-coding RNA mechanism that detoxifies damaged cells, paradoxically allowing damaged genetic material to persist and potentially mutate into tumors.
“The motivation for this study was to ask whether a similar mechanism also occurs with vaping: can vape exposure trigger changes in cells that, like cigarette smoke, allow damaged cells to survive?” said Dr. Reynaldo Garcia, lead researcher and professor at NIMBB.
The study team demonstrated that elevated VALT1 levels directly enhance cell proliferation, impair programmed cell death, and disrupt cellular structures. These attributes mirror the classic hallmarks of tumorigenic cells. Critically, the researchers observed that overexpressing VALT1 promoted cell survival under cytotoxic stress in lung cancer cell lines (A549), but not in healthy counterpart cells.
“This provides evidence that vaping is not safe, and that its harmful effects are mediated, at least partly, by VALT1,” said co-author Daniel Angelo Mirador. “Our cells assume tumorigenic properties upon exposure to e-cigarettes.”
Mirador added that the research expands broader scientific understanding of non-coding RNAs, which were historically dismissed as genetic “junk” but are now recognized as essential regulators of cell health and disease pathogenesis.
Long-term risks uncertain
While e-cigarettes generally contain fewer toxic compounds than traditional combusted tobacco, public health authorities have increasingly linked vape aerosols to acute respiratory illness and cardiovascular damage.
However, because e-cigarettes are a relatively recent commercial phenomenon, the long-term oncological risks remain difficult to measure directly in human populations. Lung cancer typically requires decades of exposure and latency before clinical diagnosis.
The research team stressed that cellular and molecular studies remain essential to establishing an empirical foundation for health policy while long-term epidemiological data matures.