Research Evaluates Effect of E-Cigarettes on Epithelial Cells

As a certified medical scribe specialist with the Fresno Community Regional Medical Center, Daniel “Danny” Ashley gained hands-on experience in medical procedures and terminology, in addition to participating in various research studies. Danny Ashley holds a bachelor of science in biology from Fresno State, and completed the 2-year master of public administration program at UCSF, where he conducted research on the impact of e-cigarette liquid on epithelial cells.

Titled “Evaluating the Impact of E-Cigarette Liquid on Epithelial Cells,” the project was presented at the 39th Annual Central California Research Symposium. It evaluated the safety of e-cigarettes, which have grown in popularity and have been marketed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

According to previous research, nicotine has cytotoxic, cytostatic, and stimulatory effects on several biological processes. This project hypothesized that increasing nicotine concentrations would cause elevated levels of cell death. Indeed, when a series of e-juice solutions were applied to lung epithelial cells, researchers found a direct proportionality between cell death and e-juice concentration levels.