Impact of smoking cessation on global gene expression in the bronchial epithelium of chronic smokers.

Cigarette smoke is the major cause of lung cancer and can interact in complex ways with drugs for lung cancer prevention or therapy. Molecular genetic research promises to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying divergent drug effects in smokers versus nonsmokers and to help in developing new approaches for controlling lung cancer. The present study compared global gene expression profiles (determined via Affymetrix microarray measurements in bronchial epithelial cells) between chronic smokers, former smokers, and never smokers.