If you stop smoking will your lungs heal

Scientists say that your lungs have an almost 'magical' ability to automatically repair some of the damage caused by smoking.

The mutations that cause lung cancer are thought to be stable and remain there even after you quit smoking.

But according to research published in Nature, some cells repair the damage to the lungs.

These effects have also been seen in patients who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years before quitting. When smoked, tobacco contains thousands of chemicals that alter the DNA of lung cells and gradually destroy them. Slowly turning healthy into cancer.

This research has also revealed that even if cancer occurs, it occurs at large levels in the lungs of a smoker.

Cells that had been transformed by tobacco were taken from the airways of a smoker's lungs and had 10,000 genetic changes.

UCL researcher Dr Kate Gowers says: "They can be thought of as mini bombs waiting to take the next step which could turn them into cancer."

But a small portion of sales do not convert.

It is not yet clear why smoking causes genetic changes, but researchers say that 'they look like nuclear bunkers'.

However, when someone quits smoking, these cells grow and remove damaged cells from the lungs.

People who have quit smoking have 40 percent of their cells as those who have never smoked.

Dr. Peter Campbell of the Sanger Institute says, "We were completely unprepared for this research."

"There are a number of cells that magically replenish the lining of the airways," he says.

"The patient who quit smoking for 40 years saw major changes. His cells that had not been exposed to tobacco regenerated."

Motivation to quit smoking

Researchers are still to investigate how well the lungs heal. This research has focused on the large airways of the lungs while not including airways such as alveoli.

Every year 47 thousand cases of lung cancer are reported in Britain. Nearly three-fourth of these cases are due to smoking.

Research shows that the risk of lung cancer starts reducing from the day you quit smoking.

Dr Rachel Oritt, from Cancer Research UK, says: "It's a really inspiring idea that people can have two benefits by quitting smoking. They can save lung cells damaged by tobacco and reduce the damage by donating their lungs. Can provide healthy sales."

SOURCE: BBC.COM

Scientists say that your lungs have an almost 'magical' ability to automatically repair some of the damage caused by smoking.

The mutations that cause lung cancer are thought to be stable and remain there even after you quit smoking.

But according to research published in Nature, some cells repair the damage to the lungs.

These effects have also been seen in patients who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years before quitting. When smoked, tobacco contains thousands of chemicals that alter the DNA of lung cells and gradually destroy them. Slowly turning healthy into cancer.

This research has also revealed that even if cancer occurs, it occurs at large levels in the lungs of a smoker.

Cells that had been transformed by tobacco were taken from the airways of a smoker's lungs and had 10,000 genetic changes.

UCL researcher Dr Kate Gowers says: "They can be thought of as mini bombs waiting to take the next step which could turn them into cancer."

But a small portion of sales do not convert.

It is not yet clear why smoking causes genetic changes, but researchers say that 'they look like nuclear bunkers'.

However, when someone quits smoking, these cells grow and remove damaged cells from the lungs.

People who have quit smoking have 40 percent of their cells as those who have never smoked.

Dr. Peter Campbell of the Sanger Institute says, "We were completely unprepared for this research."

"There are a number of cells that magically replenish the lining of the airways," he says.

"The patient who quit smoking for 40 years saw major changes. His cells that had not been exposed to tobacco regenerated."

motivation to quit smoking

Researchers are still to investigate how well the lungs heal. This research has focused on the large airways of the lungs while not including airways such as alveoli.

Every year 47 thousand cases of lung cancer are reported in Britain. Nearly three-fourth of these cases are due to smoking.

Research shows that the risk of lung cancer starts reducing from the day you quit smoking.

Dr Rachel Oritt, from Cancer Research UK, says: "It's a really inspiring idea that people can have two benefits by quitting smoking. They can save lung cells damaged by tobacco and reduce the damage by donating their lungs. Can provide healthy sales."

SOURCE: BBC.COM