Molecular biologists are calling for caution regarding the potential tumorigenic effects of vaping.

Researchers from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) at the College of Science of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD-CS) have studied the effects of exposure to substances present in electronic cigarettes on certain cellular mechanisms associated with cancer development.[1]. Their work focuses in particular on a molecule they have called VALT1 («Vape-Associated LncRNA Transcript 1»), the level of which is higher in electronic cigarette users as well as in certain lung tumors.

The team investigated the role of this molecule in human cells exposed to substances from e-cigarette vapor. This research follows on from previous work by the same researchers on another molecule, SCAL1, involved in the survival of cells whose DNA has been damaged by tobacco cigarette smoke.

Cellular changes associated with tumorigenesis

Researchers observed in the laboratory an increase in VALT1 levels. This increase was associated with several cellular changes: increased proliferation, resistance to programmed cell death, increased cell migration, detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytoskeleton disorganization, and nuclear changes.

According to the authors, these characteristics are also observed in cells exhibiting tumorigenic properties. They further noted that overexpression of VALT1 could induce some of these changes even in the absence of exposure to e-cigarette vapor. The molecule also promoted the survival of certain cells subjected to cytotoxic stress, particularly in a lung cancer cell line, but not in its normal counterpart.

These results do not yet allow us to conclude that there is a risk of cancer in humans and require further research.

For researchers, these observations provide new insights into the potentially harmful effects of vaping at the cellular and molecular level.[2]. They suggest, in particular, that VALT1 could contribute to the effects observed after exposure to e-cigarettes. However, these results alone are not sufficient to establish that vaping causes cancer in humans. Lung cancers can develop after a long latency period, and e-cigarettes have been used for too short a time to have a long-term perspective comparable to that of smoking. The authors thus emphasize that the long-term effects of vaping, particularly its potential contribution to the development of cancer, still require further research.

The study also sheds light on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), molecules that do not directly produce proteins but can play a role in cell function and in certain diseases. Initially considered to have limited functionality, these RNAs are now being studied for their involvement in various biological and pathological processes.

Researchers emphasize that knowledge about the cellular and molecular effects of vaping remains limited and call for further work to better characterize its long-term consequences.

The precautionary principle in light of uncertainties about long-term effects

In this context, the study's results highlight the importance of a precautionary approach, given that the long-term effects of e-cigarette exposure remain insufficiently documented. While these experimental findings alone do not establish a causal link between vaping and cancer, they do provide new insights into cellular changes that may be involved in tumorigenic processes.

This is not the first time that a link between vaping and cancer risk has been suggested. study from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, published in the journal Carcinogenesis in March 2026, suggests that electronic cigarettes are probably carcinogenic[3]. Furthermore, a A European study from December 2025, meanwhile, warns of 134 toxins detected in electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco., certain substances including carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, chronically toxic, respiratory irritant or endocrine disruptor compounds, some of which have multiple effects[4].

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[1]Mirador DAR, Ferrer JLM, Lin KDH, Garcia RL, Vape-Associated lncRNA Transcript 1 (VALT1) Amplifies the Tumorigenic Effects of e-Cigarette Vapor in Lung Epithelial Cells,Non-Coding RNA 2026, 12, 10, accessed September 10, 2026

[2]Eunice Jean C. Patron, UP Molecular Biologists Urge Caution as Vaping is Shown to Have Tumorigenic Effects, University of the Philippines Diliman, published September 7, 2026, accessed September 10, 2026

[3]Bernard W Stewart, Henry Marshall, Billie Bonevski, Hayley J Griffin, Ashley M Hopkins, Malinda Itchins, Cassandra J Mazza, Natansh D Modi, Marissa Ryan, Megan Varlow, Freddy Sitas, The carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes: a qualitative risk assessment,Carcinogenesis, Volume 47, Number 1, published March 30, 2026, accessed September 14, 2026

[4]Maya El Bouz, Clara Neto, Thibault Mansuy, Rune Becher, Håkon Valen, Espen Mariussen, Daniela Alejandra Blanco-Escauriaza, Adrián González-Marrón, Efthimios Zervas, Anne Havermans, Reinskje Talhout, Yvonne CM Staal, Health Hazards of E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products: a Comprehensive Analysis of Hazardous Substances and Regulatory Gaps,Nicotine & Tobacco Research, published December 6, 2025, accessed September 14, 2026

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