The findings are expected to support future assessments of the health risks linked to heated tobacco products. The study was published on March 8 in Geriatrics & Gerontology International.

Heated tobacco products, which create aerosols by heating tobacco instead of burning it, have gained significant popularity in recent years. However, their long-term biological effects remain insufficiently understood.

To investigate this, the research team examined the relationship between heated tobacco aerosols and cellular aging, a process closely associated with respiratory diseases. Using fibroblasts derived from human lung tissue, the researchers compared the effects of heated tobacco aerosol extracts with conventional cigarette smoke extracts on aging-related gene expression.

The study showed that heated tobacco aerosols were less toxic to cells than traditional cigarette smoke. However, repeated exposure to highly concentrated heated tobacco aerosols increased the activity of genes linked to cellular senescence, including CDKN2A, IL1B, and MMP1, similarly to the effects observed with combustible cigarettes. These genetic alterations closely resembled patterns seen in aging models caused by repeated cell division and drug-induced stress.

Researchers also found that while some gene expression changes were shared between heated and combustible tobacco exposure, other changes appeared unique to heated tobacco products. In addition, repeated exposure caused more pronounced genetic effects than single exposure, a trend also observed with conventional cigarette smoke.

According to Akihito Ishigami, although heated tobacco products are often viewed as less harmful than conventional cigarettes, the findings suggest they may still influence genes associated with cellular aging. The team emphasized the importance of continued long-term molecular studies to better understand their potential health impacts.

Source: https://sj.jst.go.jp/news/202605/n0511-02k.html