Source: Hindustan Times
German researchers have recently reported that cigarette smoke destroys essential proteins and molecules that renew lung cells, and thus prevents the lungs from undergoing a natural self-healing process that ultimately leads to ‘chronic obstructive pulmonary disease’ (COPD).
In Germany, approximately 12% of adults over 40 years old suffer from COPD and experience common symptoms such as coughing, bronchitis, and breathing difficulties.
According to the study, ‘Frizzled 4’ is a molecule that regulates self-renewal in the lungs. However, when COPD patients’ lungs were examined in the study, researchers found that there were significantly less Frizzled 4 receptors compared to non-smokers.
Read full story at: Hindustan Times