Gene Variant Tied to Smokers’ Risk of Lung Cancer
December 22nd, 2008
People may face an increased risk of lung cancer if they have a gene variant that metabolizes the most potent of , a new study says.
The ABCB1 and ABCC1 genes normally help protect the lungs by removing inhaled toxins. Specifically, they act on tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) — a cigarette smoke component shown to cause lung cancer in rodents.