As tobacco smoke fuels cancer cells

But recent research institution, "the Wellcome Trust» (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute) revealed a direct effect of smoking on the nucleation of a malignant tumor. A research team led by Peter Campbell for the appearance of tumor with instant damage cell DNA, and with a long mutation of healthy cells. Our bodies are constantly being updated. Cells are born, multiply and die. This process actively influence the environment and way of life. Tobacco, for example, interferes with the normal course of development of cells of the lungs. Substances contained in cigarette smoke, provoke changes in the DNA of the cell, ie, its gene mutation. Degeneration of cells can be very long, but it does not lead to cancer. For example, a study of cancer cells 55-year-old man has shown that before in her illness she suffered 23 000 mutations. Almost each of them was triggered by smoking, but only 5 or 10 cells are a source of cancers. Dr Kemp-Bell compares the ratio of harmless and cancerous mutations with Russian roulette, in which cigarette smoking is the same as pressing the trigger. Good news for smokers is that if you quit smoking right now, 10-15 years old cells completely restored the status quo, that is, its state before the first mutation. Scientists have discovered that the same principle is formed and melanoma – a malignant tumor of the skin. The emergence of this disease, as well as the appearance of lung cancer, multiple lead changes in the cell. They are caused by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, the most likely victims of skin cancer – it sunbathers. Prior to the formation of melanoma skin cell mutates into an average 33 000 times. The first change in the DNA of cells can occur in childhood. So if you are already burn once the sun is getting sunburn, skin cells to bring the risk to a critical mutation. Now the main task of the research group of Campbell – to find the "point of no return" in which a healthy cell turns cancerous. If they succeed, the treatment of tumors come to a new level. This will be a real breakthrough. In the next 5-10 years, scientists plan to study 50 types of cancer and to identify the critical mutations for each of them.