title: A decade of e-cigarettes: Limited research & unresolved safety concerns.
abstract: It is well known that tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and has been linked to major diseases ranging from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and a host of neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decade a number of alternative vaping products have hit the market, rapidly gaining consumers especially among the younger population. Electronic nicotine delivery systems or e-cigarettes have become the sought-after product due to the belief that they are much safer than traditional cigarettes. However, inadequate research and lack of regulatory guidelines for both the manufacturing process and the content of the vaping solution of the e-cigarette has become a major concern. Highly debated and unresolved questions such as whether e-cigarettes may help smokers quit and whether e-cigarettes will promote the use of nicotine among non-smokers add to the confusion of the safety of e-cigarettes. In this review article, we summarize the current understanding (and lack thereof) of the potential health impacts of e-cigarettes. We will also highlight the most recent studies (in vivo/in vitro) which seem to conflict with the broad safety claims put forward by the manufacturers. Finally, we provide potential solutions to overcome the research gap of the short and long-term health impact of e-cigarettes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammad Abul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaisar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA.
authors.forename: Shikha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA.
authors.forename: Tylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liles
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; Center for Blood Brain Barrier Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA. Electronic address: luca.cucullo@ttuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cucullo
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011634:Public Health; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000633:toxicity; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Alternatives; Brain; Electronic cigarettes; Inflammation; Research; Teen smoking; Teen vaping; Toxicology; e-Liquids