A study published in Frontiers in Oncology indicates that vaping significantly alters gene expression, affecting 3,124 genes in users. Conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California, the study found that two-thirds of these changes are linked to the type of vape flavours and devices used. Participants included 35 vapers, 24 smokers, and 24 non-users, with results showing that fruit flavours and advanced devices, referred to as mods, resulted in the most pronounced changes in gene activity. The research highlights that sweet flavours impacted 2.9% of genes, while fruit flavours affected 31%, and multiple flavours altered 64.3%. The implications of these findings are significant, as they suggest that vaping can lead to disease-related gene expression changes, which regulators must consider when assessing the health risks of e-cigarettes. The study's senior author, Professor Ahmad Besaratinia, noted the importance of identifying harmful chemicals in vaping products to guide regulatory actions aimed at minimizing health risks.