Exploring the Carcinogenic Potential of E-Cigarettes: A Multifaceted Study

The field of tobacco research is expanding to include investigations into the health impacts of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), commonly referred to as e-cigarettes. The ongoing debate about the safety of e-cigarettes centers on their potential role in cancer risk. Recent studies indicate that while e-cigarettes eliminate some toxins found in traditional cigarettes, they introduce other harmful substances. Chemicals like formaldehyde, which are known carcinogens, are present in e-cigarette vapor, sometimes at higher concentrations than in tobacco smoke. Initial research, including in vitro experiments, suggests e-cigarettes might induce similar gene expression changes in human cells as those observed in tobacco smokers.

This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of how e-cigarettes may influence cancer risk through various biological mechanisms. Considering the unique "personalized toxicology profile" of each vaper, shaped by customizable vaping devices, it's crucial to disentangle how modifications in device settings and vaping substances impact health. The goal is to explore whether there are definitive links between e-cigarette use and increased cancer risk and to identify the potential molecular and cellular pathways involved.

To gather further insights into the broad implications of vaping on human health, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Molecular and cellular mechanisms of vaping-induced DNA damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
- Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vaping-associated carcinogenesis.
- Effects of vaping aerosols on cellular signaling pathways involved in tumor development and progression.
- Impact of vaping on respiratory and oral microbiomes.
- Role of microbiota dysbiosis in promoting or inhibiting cancer pathways.
- Interactions between vaping and infection-induced oncogenesis (e.g., HPV or other oncoviruses).
- Effects of vaping on local and systemic immune responses.
- Chronic inflammation and its role in vaping-related carcinogenesis.
- Crosstalk between immune cells, vaping by-products, and cancer progression.
- Analysis of vaping aerosol constituents and their carcinogenic potential.

Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this Research Topic.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Vaping-related cancer Carcinogenesis Cellular mechanisms Microbiota alterations Immune responses Oxidative stress DNA damage Chronic inflammation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.