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Harmful Smoking effects: damage gene permanently

Taking sample from the respiratory tract of the 24 smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers, Canadian research from the British columbia cancer Agency analyzed gene activity using a powerful technique called "serial analysis of gene expression".
Kicking the tobacco habit, even young, does not always reset harmful cancer-related genes. Body does not recover fully from the harmful effects of smoking even years after quitting smoking.

What they found is not encouraging for ex-smokers who thought they had escaped the dangers of lung cancer. Tobacco smoking accounts for 85% of death caused by lung cancer.
The result revealed that those who quit smoking reduce their risk of disease but not null. Although the risk of heart disease , eventually returns to that of a non-smokers, the risk of getting lung cancer and emphysema- remains elevated even if the patient hasn't smoked a cigarette in decades.

Those genes and functions which do not revert to normal levels upon smoking cessation may provide insight. Looking at the genes involved in regeneration of the passage way used for breathing , the study identified genes falling into three categories.

CABYR and TFF3 which decodes the structural component of mucus, are reversible, while others were only partially reserved. However, GSK3B associated in previous studies with lung cancer - remain in their changed state even long after smokers had quit.

In total, more than 3 million SAGE tags representing over 110,000 potentially unique transcripts were generated, Tobacco smoking accounts for 85%  of lung cancers and former smokers accounts for half of those newly diagnoses with the disease.