Sunday, November 8, 2015

Scientists Discover Why Some Smokers are Immune to Lung Cancer

(image from theguardian.com)

                        For years, the medical community has been baffled by the instances where health-conscious non-smokers develop lung cancer while a handful of heavy smokers retain their healthy lungs well into their nineties. A recent study by the University of Leicester revealed that the answer to these ‘rare healthy smokers’ are actually good genes.

            According to the Medical Research council, mutations in DNA provide enhanced lung function and protection against the often fatal effects of smoking, although acquiring these genes are often rare and often by pure lucky chance. However, not smoking is still the safer option than gambling on good genes, researchers report in their study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine Journal.

            The Leicester research team based their study on their survey of 50, 000 volunteers, all from the United Kingdom’s Biobank project. They focused on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of COPD, thought to affect over three million people in the UK alone and is often dismissed as ‘smoker’s cough’. The researchers found a rather simple but integral discovery: that sections of our DNA reduces the risk of COPD, lowering the risk of some people in developing lung disease. After decades of puzzlement, the human DNA contains a form of immunity against possible cancer, in this case, cancer of the lung. This discovery opens up a whole new ground for medicine and the possibility for a cancer cure.


            "There doesn't appear to be any kind of magic bullet that would give anyone guaranteed protection against tobacco smoke - they would still have lungs that were unhealthier than they would be had they been a non-smoker,” Professor Martin Tobin, one of the researchers from the University of Leicester said.

            The same genes are yet to be found as giving the same immunity to other diseases such as cancers and heart disorders. The findings were first presented during a meeting of the European Respiratory Society. Although the results of the research are not wholly divulged tot he public so far, we do know that further studies will be conducted to narrow down for the immunity gene.


            "These findings represent a significant step forward in helping us achieve a clearer picture about the fascinating and intricate reality of lung health,” said Ian Jarrold, head of research at the British Lung Foundation, “"Understanding genetic predisposition is essential in not only helping us develop new treatments for people with lung disease but also in teaching otherwise healthy people how to better take care of their lungs."

              With one in ten people dying of smoking-related diseases globally, the Leicester research is breaking ground on integral steps to untangling the riddle of cancer. Although it will take time, decades possibly, science is on the right path to solving lung cancer step by step. Having a small percentage of the human populace immune to lung cancer almost sounds like it came right out of science fiction. Now whether further research will look for these rare individuals or not, we cannot be sure; but one thing is certain: the possibility of a cancer cure is getting clearer.




References:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/lung-cancer/about/lung-cancer-risks-and-causes
http://www.nature.com/nri/journal/v9/n5/full/nri2530.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34360865
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/cancer.html

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