DNA testing is set to be used by researchers to identify smokers – and pin down the effects of the habit on a range of diseases, it was revealed today.
Scientists in London and Italy have developed tests for DNA "tagging", a conference heard.
The tests identify epigenetic – temporary – modification of genes.
The research, at Imperial College London and the Human Genetics Foundation (HuGeF) in Italy, was being reported at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Liverpool, UK.
Researchers say the changes indicate the kind of damage that smoking does to the body – as well as providing a way to measure a person’s smoking habits.
Researcher Professor Paolo Vineis, head of the HuGeF laboratory, said: “This research will help us to build a molecular profile of cancer risk, where we can screen people and quantify the exposure they’ve had to a number of risk factors over their lifetime, just by examining a blood sample.
“We hope that smoking is just the start – further work will look into other factors like alcohol and start to measure the risk an individual has built up over a lifetime of exposure to these contributors to cancer.”
Fellow researcher Dr James Flanagan, of Imperial College, said: "Previous research into smoking has often asked people to fill out questionnaires, which have their obvious drawbacks and inaccuracies."
Institute director Dr Jane Cope said the findings showed the damage that smoking can do to human biology.
She said: “This is a very interesting piece of research that applies basic biology to everyday life to reveal just how much damage smoking can do to the fundamental biology of a person.
"If these early results hold true in more detailed studies, this finding could play an important role in understanding smokers’ cancer risk in the future.”
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