In Vitro Systems Toxicology assessment of a Candidate Modified Risk Tobacco Product Shows Reduced Toxicity Compared to That of a Conventional Cigarette

Introduction:
This text describes a study comparing the toxicity of a candidate modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), the tobacco-heating system ThS 2.2, to that of a conventional cigarette, the 3R4F reference cigarette. The study used normal primary human bronchial epithelial cells and measured the biological impact of both products using chemical characterization, high content screening, and transcriptomics analysis.

Key Points:

* The study found that the ThS 2.2 aerosol contains lower levels of harmful constituents compared to the 3R4F cigarette smoke.
* Exposure of cells to 3R4F cigarette smoke resulted in a dose-dependent response in most toxicity endpoints, while exposure to ThS 2.2 aerosol resulted in an overall lower biological impact.
* The level of biological network perturbation was significantly reduced following ThS 2.2 aerosol exposure compared to that of 3R4F cigarette smoke.
* The study suggests that ThS 2.2 aerosol is less toxic than combustible cigarette smoke and may have the potential to reduce the risk for smoke-related diseases.

Main Message:
The study provides evidence that the ThS 2.2 tobacco-heating system has the potential to reduce the toxicity and biological impact of tobacco product use compared to conventional cigarettes. The results support the development and evaluation of MRTPs as a harm reduction strategy for adult smokers.

Gonzalez-Suarez, Ignacio, Florian Martin, Diego Marescotti, Emmanuel Guedj, Stefano acali, Stephanie Johne, Remi Dulize, et al. “In Vitro Systems Toxicology assessment of a Candidate Modified Risk Tobacco Product Shows Reduced Toxicity Compared to That of a Conventional Cigarette.” Chemical Research in Toxicology 29, no. 1 (January 19, 2016): 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.5b00321.