In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC measured DNA methylation, a chemical modification of DNA that can effectively turn genes “on” or “off,” in the oral cells of young adult vapers, smokers and non-users.

DNA methylation is vital to normal cellular processes but if it goes awry it can lead to cancer and other diseases. Using a state-of-the-art genetic sequencing technique, they analyzed virtually the entire genome in the cells of study participants, compared to previous studies that analyzed just 2-3% of genetic regions in vapers or smokers.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, show a substantial overlap in DNA methylation patterns between people who vaped versus those who smoked.

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