Nicotine Promotes Growth Of Tumors Already Established By Tobacco Carcinogens

... While nicotine by itself is not carcinogenic, researchers now show that nicotine promotes cell proliferation and the progression of tumors already initiated by tobacco carcinogens. University of South Florida researchers show that the presence of receptors that bind nicotine, known as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), on bronchial cells as well as lung cancer cells, are key to nicotine-induced cell proliferation of lung cancer cells. The study appears online in the JCI on July 20. ...