Pharynx

• With the countless studies available today on the effects of tobacco use, we should have no trouble convincing ourselves and others of how harmful it is.
• The cells that make up our tissues, organs and body systems are sensitive to the effects of external toxic agents, many of which can be found in tobacco.
• Many smokers not only accept this, but also ignore the serious danger it poses to the people around them.

Initial effects in the mouth and pharynx

• When tobacco smoke enters our body, the first cells to receive it are in the mouth, nose and throat.
• These effects on the immune system are also linked to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
• We also cannot forget that tobacco smoke robs us of our sense of taste and smell, leaving an almost continuous bitter taste in the mouth.

Lung damage

• Furthermore, due to the direct damage caused by tobacco on the tissue that maintains the structure of the lungs, the bronchi and bronchioles become blocked, generating symptoms similar to suffocation.
• As if that were not enough, people with COPD are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer.

Black tar and macrophages

• We can cast our minds back to the previous image of my father’s pipe, black and sticky with tar.
• It so happens that the lungs are rich in macrophages – special cells that play a key role in our immune systems by reacting to attacks, producing inflammatory responses.
• These cells end up ingesting the tar from tobacco, and they eventually die loaded with this substance which builds up and gives a smoker’s lungs their characteristic blackened appearance.

Nicotine’s effects on neurons: dependence and addiction

• As with any other compound that stimulates neurotransmitter receptors, permanent stimulation desensitises neurons.
• This means that the neurons reduce the number of receptors, or change their sensitivity to the stimulant.
• This desensitisation process can lead not only to nicotine dependence, but also to other diseases such as memory loss.

Guillermo López Lluch is a member of the Spanish Society of Cell Biology, the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Society for Free Radical Research and the International Coenzyme Q10 Association. The research carried out by the author is financed by public funds from the Spanish Government or the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

• Two key trends can be observed in the global rapid influenza diagnostic tests market.
• Increasing demand for rapid influenza diagnostic tests: The global rapid influenza diagnostic tests market is anticipated to witness significant growth during the forecast period of 2023-2030.
• Read complete market research report, " Global Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests Market Size And Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecasts (2023 - 2030) ", Published by CoherentMI.
• In conclusion, the global rapid influenza diagnostic tests market is expected to witness significant growth due to the increasing demand for quick and accurate diagnosis of influenza.

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• LOQTORZI also demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS), with treatment resulting in a 37% reduction in the risk of death versus chemotherapy alone.
• “Following etesevimab, toripalimab has become Junshi Biosciences’ second product to receive FDA approval for commercialization—an achievement that will further enhance the company’s international presence.
• Currently, the establishment of toripalimab’s global commercialization network is in progress, and the network aims to span over 50 countries.

• According to clinical trials.gov, as of November 2022, around 394 clinical studies are in different phases of development related to human papillomavirus vaccines across the globe.
• Upsurge in the cases of Human Papillomavirus related diseases in different organs such as the anal, oropharynx, and genital parts has significantly raised the demand for Human Papillomavirus vaccines, thereby creating lucrative opportunities for market growth.
• This has, in turn, increased the research and development activities and products launched related to human papillomavirus vaccine.
• For instance, recently, India launched the first quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.