How e-cigarette chemicals might cause lung cancer
Official title: Electronic cigarette derived free radicals, oxidative stress and inflammation in lung cancer development
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11285142 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether chemicals from e-cigarettes cause harmful inflammation and DNA damage that could lead to lung cancer in people who vape.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 15, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $565,464 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA270608-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285142 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be current or former e-cigarette users—especially long-term vapers or people who used high-power devices—who are willing to share health information or biospecimens.
✕Less likely to help
People who have never used e-cigarettes or whose lung disease is clearly due to other causes may not get direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers expose animals to e-cigarette aerosol over long periods and measure harmful free radicals, reactive aldehydes, inflammation, DNA damage, and tumor formation while analyzing the chemicals produced by different devices and power settings. They track early changes in lung cells and tissues to see which chemical exposures and nicotine metabolites come before cancer-like changes. The goal is to connect specific vaping chemicals and biological processes to the kinds of oxidative stress and inflammation that can lead to human lung cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify whether vaping raises lung cancer risk and identify particular harmful chemicals to guide warnings, regulation, and safer product choices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies, including the team's mouse model, have reported e-cigarette–related inflammation and tumors, but direct proof in people remains limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zweier, Jay Louis — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Zweier, Jay Louis
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.