Impact of heated tobacco products on lung cancer: The role of PARD3 and Hippo pathway dysregulation

Abstract

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are marketed as safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes. However, limited data exists on their biological impact, particularly at cellular level. This study investigates the role of HTPs in lung carcinogenesis, focusing on the Partition-defective 3 (PARD3) gene. PARD3, a key regulator of cell polarity, may modulate Hippo signaling by interacting with downstream effectors YAP/TAZ, potentially contributing to cancer progression. Differential expression analysis of bronchial epithelial cells exposed to HTP aerosols showed enrichment of cancer-related genes and pathways, including Hippo signaling. Using TCGA-LUAD data, we found PARD3 to be amplified in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and positively correlated with YAP/TAZ expression. Enrichment analyses of PARD3 co-expressed genes revealed involvement in immune-related and oncogenic pathways. These findings suggest that PARD3 may contribute to HTP-associated carcinogenesis and warrant further experimental validation.

Keywords

• Heated tobacco products (HTPs)
• cancer
• Hippo pathway
• PARD3
• smoking

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