Smoking changes adaptive immunity with persistent effects. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355791/)

These scientists wanted to understand why people's immune systems can react differently to infections and other challenges. They looked at 136 different factors that could affect how the immune system responds, like age, genetics, and whether someone smokes or has certain infections. They found that smoking, having a certain virus called cytomegalovirus, and body weight can all play big roles in how the immune system reacts.

When people smoke, it can affect both the immediate response of the immune system and its long-term memory. Even if someone quits smoking, the effects on the immune system can linger. The scientists also discovered that smoking can change how certain genes are activated in the immune system, which can have lasting effects.

Overall, this study helps us understand more about how smoking and other factors can impact our immune system, which could help doctors better predict and prevent infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases in the future.

Saint-Andre V., Charbit B., Biton A., Rouilly V., Posseme C., Bertrand A., Rotival M., Bergstedt J., Patin E., Albert ML., Quintana-Murci L., Duffy D. Smoking changes adaptive immunity with persistent effects. Nature. 2024 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06968-8.