The Effects of Nicotine on Mesenchymal Stem Cell Function

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Despite the numerous detrimental health effects associated with cigarette smoking, the general population continues to struggle with smoking cessation. Cigarette addiction is predominantly due to nicotine, an organic compound found in all tobacco products. Nicotine is readily absorbed within the body and rapidly stimulates reward regions in the brain making it difficult for smokers to quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapies (i.e. lozenges, patches, and gum) are a safe and suitable replacement for nicotine; however, recent devices like the electronic cigarette, which are commonly used for nicotine replacement, can still pose significant harm to the user due to concentrated doses of nicotine delivery. This publication describes the in vitro effects of nicotine on the function of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human bone marrow. Herein, nicotine is shown to significantly effect mesenchymal stem cell proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation potential.