QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Sep 2026) – E-cigarettes are often pitched as a cleaner alternative to smoking, but new research shows they can trigger cellular changes that mirror early cancer growth.
For many Pinoy users who switched to vaping believing it is harmless, scientists at the University of the Philippines Diliman have uncovered evidence that e-cigarette vapor directly impacts how lung cells function.
A hidden switch for cell survival
Researchers at the UP Diliman College of Science National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology studied how vape vapor affects human cells. They focused on a specific molecule called vape-associated lncRNA transcript 1, or VALT1.
When cells are exposed to vape chemical vapor, VALT1 levels jump. This molecule encourages damaged cells to survive, multiply, and reorganize their structure instead of dying off naturally. In a healthy body, cells with damaged DNA self-destruct to protect the body. VALT1 overrides that safety switch.
Dr. Reynaldo Garcia, who leads the research team, explained that a similar mechanism happens with regular cigarette smoke. In earlier findings, another molecule called SCAL1 helped smoke-damaged cells survive by clearing out toxic stress. The team wanted to see if vaping caused a similar reaction, and VALT1 provided the answer.
Why long-term risk remains unclear
The research showed that elevated VALT1 levels give lung cells properties typically seen in tumor cells, including resistance to natural cell death and altered cell structures. Even when testing lung cancer cell lines under toxic stress, VALT1 actively helped those cancer cells stay alive.
Lead researcher Daniel Angelo Mirador noted that non-coding RNAs like VALT1 were once dismissed by scientists as cellular junk. Today, researchers know these molecules play critical roles in both normal cell function and disease development.
Because vaping is a relatively new habit, the long-term medical impacts may take decades to fully appear. Cancer usually takes years to develop in human tissue, making cellular-level studies essential to understanding future health risks.
The complete research paper is published in the international peer-reviewed journal Non-Coding RNA.
