Tag: CoEHAR

  • CoEHAR: Vape Products Most Effective Quitting Tool

    CoEHAR: Vape Products Most Effective Quitting Tool

    Image: CoEHAR

    A recent review conducted by the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the University of Catania found that e-cigarettes are more effective than other treatments for smoking cessation.

    Published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the study represents one of the most comprehensive analyses to date, evaluating 16 systematic reviews and encompassing data from 24 randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

    According to the authors, e-cigarettes outperformed other cessation treatments in eight out of 11 meta-analyses. No evidence was found to suggest that e-cigarettes are less effective than any alternative treatments. And while mixed results emerged when comparing ENDS to traditional nicotine replacement therapy, the overall trend favored ENDS for cessation efficacy.

    “The data from our umbrella review can support the integration of harm reduction strategies into public health policies in many countries,” said Renée O’Leary, lead author of the review, in a statement. “However, the review highlights a critical gap in existing cessation strategies, with long-term success rates for e-cigarettes remaining modest at 10 percent-12 percent and the effect of relapse has not been sufficiently studied. New treatments and approaches are urgently needed”.

    Despite these promising findings, the study also emphasizes the need for greater scientific rigor in the field. According to the authors, the analysis exposes significant reporting biases in many studies.

    “This study provides robust evidence supporting the potential of ENDS as an effective cessation aid, but it also calls for enhanced clinical guidelines and further exploration of long-term outcomes,” stated Riccardo Polosa, co-author and founder of CoEHAR.

  • Study: No Major Respiratory Symptoms for Vapers

    Study: No Major Respiratory Symptoms for Vapers

    A groundbreaking international study conducted as part of the Veritas cohort project has provided crucial insights into the respiratory health of exclusive e-cigarette users with no established history of smoking. Published in Scientific Reports, the study assessed respiratory symptoms among adults who had never been habitual smokers but used e-cigarettes, offering a rare glimpse into the health effects of vaping in this specific population.

    Led by researchers from CoEHAR and their global collaborators, the study compared respiratory symptoms between a cohort of e-cigarette users and a control group who had never smoked conventional cigarettes. The results indicate that individuals who have never smoked but exclusively used e-cigarette devices do not exhibit clinically relevant respiratory symptoms. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of distinguishing between statistically and clinically significant results when evaluating the health impacts of e-cigarettes.

    “Veritas lays the groundwork for longitudinal research to further assess the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on respiratory health. These findings are essential for shaping public health policies based on scientific evidence, especially as we work to differentiate the effects of vaping from those of traditional smoking,” said Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR.

    “What makes the Veritas project unique is not only its reach across six geographically diverse areas,” said Jeffrey Zamora, the study’s lead author, “but also its ability to provide data on the real-world use of e-cigarettes, including the most commonly used device types (refillable, disposable, pod-based) flavor preferences, and variations across different socio-cultural groups.”

  • Catania Set to Host Conference On Harm Reduction

    Catania Set to Host Conference On Harm Reduction

    Image: CoEHAR

    The Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) will host its national conference on Oct. 30 at the University of Catania, Italy.

    The 2024 edition will host 25 speakers from prestigious research centers and international universities, including the Moffitt Cancer Center, Dartmouth College, George Washington University and the Milken Institute School of Public Health.

    “Scientific research on harm reduction strategies has reached a critical turning point, where information about new frontiers represented by modified-risk devices can no longer be ignored,” said CoEHAR founder Riccardo Polosa in a statement.

    “This year’s gathering with our colleagues from the harm reduction scientific community will allow us to capture the current state of research, providing even more important answers on the health benefits that modified-risk devices can bring to dental health, vision, and diabetes management. There will also be a focus on new technologies and the application of artificial intelligence systems in smoking cessation therapies.”

    The full program can be downloaded here.

  • CoEHAR Readies to Open Branch in Indonesia

    CoEHAR Readies to Open Branch in Indonesia

    Photo: CoEhar

    The Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the University of Catania, Italy, signed a letter of intent with the Universitas Padjadjaran to create a new CoEHAR branch in Indonesia. The branch will serve as a regional center for research, outreach and education on smoking harm reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.

    According to statistics from the World Health Organization and other groups, Indonesia had nearly 80 million smokers aged 15 and older in 2022. This places the country third in the world in terms of the number of tobacco users. Conventional cigarette smoking remains the second-highest risk factor in Indonesia.

    “The research conducted by the CoEHAR team at the University of Catania is changing the world, contributing to the revolution of policies aimed at protecting public health in many countries,” said CoEHAR founder Riccardo Polosa in a statement. “Supporting the CoEHAR efforts in Indonesia is a great source of pride for us but also a promise of further commitment to change the fate of a country plagued by unhealthy habits and lifestyles.”

    “Low[-income] and middle-income countries in the Asian region represent a different and multifaceted field of investigation and activity,” said CoEHAR Director Giovanni Li Volti. “Our goal is to enhance research activities by developing joint projects that can fully utilize both the human and technological resources of all the universities and institutions involved, which will contribute to change and the exchange of knowledge and skills.”

    Previously, the universities had already agreed to promote joint research, mobility and training in the field of smoking harm reduction.

  • Giovanni Li Volti Reconfirmed Director of CoEHAR

    Giovanni Li Volti Reconfirmed Director of CoEHAR

    Photo: CoEHAR

    The Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) has reappointed Giovanni Li Volti as its director for the next four years.

    “Following the path already undertaken by Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR, our center is today considered the most influential and productive in the world in the field of research applied to the harm reduction,” Li Volti said in a statement acknowledging the reappointment.

    “A recognition that has led our university to be celebrated and rewarded several times for the productivity of its members, for innovation in the scientific field and for the large and important internationalization actions that have brought to Catania, in just five years, more of 150 researchers and stakeholders from all over the globe, interested in our activity.

    “The trust expressed by all of you honors me and motivates me even more to dedicate my energies, and what I have learned so far, to guarantee the success of scientific research in the sector of reducing smoking harm, and to follow the immense work carried out from the entire CoEHAR team and its founder and mentor.

    “The international successes of CoEHAR are the victories of a team and of the great excellence of Catania research. I look to the future with optimism and hope to work in close collaboration with everyone to achieve new shared and far-sighted goals.”

    Tobacco Reporter profiled CoEHAR in its January 2024 print edition and online (see, “Reviewing their Peers”).

  • CoEHAR’s Replica 2.0 Team to Meet in Catania

    CoEHAR’s Replica 2.0 Team to Meet in Catania

    Photo: CoEHAR

    The Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) will hold the Annual International Meeting for its Replica 2.0 project in Catania, Italy, March 25–29.

    The Replica project is one of CoEHAR’s most successful projects, according to the organization. In the last couple of years, the research team replicated and validated the results from well-known international studies in the field of tobacco harm reduction.

    The project benefits from its collaboration with an international network of independent laboratories all around the world, which includes the Universitas Padjadjaran in Indonesia, the Institute of Research and Development Nosmoke in Greece, the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac in Serbia, the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, the Temple University-SHRO in the United States and Kazan Federal University, Russia.

    During the event, the Replica team will discuss lessons learned, harmonize standard operation procedures for the project and continue the laboratory training emphasizing critical steps for harmonization.

    On March 29, CoEHAR will host the ceremony for its Talent Research Award.

    Tobacco Reporter profiled CoEHAR in its January 2024 print edition and online (see, “Reviewing their Peers”).

  • Researchers to Study Health Impact of Dual Use

    Researchers to Study Health Impact of Dual Use

    Photo: tcsaba

    A new project sponsored by the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) will investigate the consequences of the combined use of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes on human health.

    Titled, “MAGnitude of cigarette substitutioN after Initiation oF e-cigarettes and its Impact on biomArkers of exposure and potenTial harm in dual users” (“Magnificat”), the study will involve more than 300 dual users.

    Using specific biomarkers, clinical endpoints and behavioral correlations, researchers will be monitoring participants’ health to quantify the impact of transitioning to combustion-free products.

    Participants will be asked to reduce the consumption of conventional cigarettes and switch to electronic cigarettes for a controlled period. According to CoEHAR, the results of the study will be of great interest in addressing questions related to smoking harm reduction in both clinical and behavioral contexts.

    Tobacco Reporter profiled the work of CoEHAR in its January 2024 issue (see “Reviewing their Peers.”)

  • ECLAT Celebrates THR Study’s 10th Anniversary

    ECLAT Celebrates THR Study’s 10th Anniversary

    Photo: Wlodzimierz

    The Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ECLAT study, which according to the organization marked a significant shift in the science of harm reduction.

    Riccardo Polosa

    The project began in 2011 when a research group led by Riccardo Polosa of the University of Catania in Italy decided to evaluate the use of e-cigarettes on a sample of smokers who wanted to quit.

    After two years of recruitment and follow-ups, the first randomized controlled trial on electronic cigarettes came to light. The ECLAT study provided evidence for the first time that the e-cigarette could help people—even those who had no desire to give up smoking—quit combustible cigarettes.

    The ECLAT study subsequently became a source of inspiration for researchers worldwide. Even then, despite the technical limitations of vaping products at that time, the study showed that at the 52nd week, 8.7 percent of smokers using e-cigarettes quit smoking, while 10.3 percent reduced the consumption of traditional cigarettes by at least 50 percent. Moreover, 73.1 percent of those who had quit did not use the e-cigarette at the end of the study.

    Although these data may appear modest today, the ECLAT study paved the way for a line of research that now engages thousands of researchers worldwide. The most recent Cochrane literature review—which also incorporates the ECLAT study—confirms what was revealed in Catania 10 years ago: e-cigarettes are effective tools in the fight against smoking.

    Reflecting on the ELCAT research, Polosa called for continued innovation and evaluation. “If we want to definitively erase the history of smoking, we must continue with research, encouraging continuous innovation and evaluation studies,” he said in a statement. “Harm reduction can and is already saving millions of lives. The path is the right one and must be followed to the end.‘”

  • Study Finds No Added Harm from Vape Substitution

    Study Finds No Added Harm from Vape Substitution

    A new systematic review conducted by the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction on the available scientific research showed no difference in respiratory parameters in human clinical tests on the respiratory effects of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use in participants who smoke tobacco cigarettes. 

    In their study “Respiratory health effects of e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarettes: a systematic review,” the researchers analyzed 16 studies from 20 publications. They found that the large majority of the studies showed no difference in respiratory parameters. According to the authors, this indicates that electronic nicotine delivery systems substitution for smoking likely does not result in additional harm to respiratory health.

    One of the problems the researchers found during their evaluation is that many studies were not of sufficient duration for observing any harmful or beneficial effects because these may take time to manifest. In fact, the researchers observed a general low quality of the studies included in the review, with 10 of 16 studies rated at high risk of bias. 

    In light of the findings of no change in respiratory function plus the presence of reporting spin bias, the researchers call for long term studies that include diverse participants and to assess smoking behavior and history. Furthermore, they note that exclusive ENDS use and dual use with cigarettes should be identified as separate categories for analysis and findings. They also stressed that additional studies are necessary to assess the potential benefits or risks of e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarette smoking.

    Credit: VlaDee
  • Replica Vape Study Confirms Minimal Carcinogenic Effects

    Replica Vape Study Confirms Minimal Carcinogenic Effects

    Photos: CoEHAR

    The aerosol from e-cigarettes induced slight to no cytotoxic, mutagenic and genotoxic effects during tests conducted by the Replica research team of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) that compared these effects to those induced by cigarette smoke.

    According to CoEHAR, science has been suffering from a “replicability crisis” in recent years. The use of different research methodologies usually leads to different data, resulting in flawed results that misinform policies and impact on health and social care practices, as well as smokers who are seeking a complete cessation.

    Replica researchers aim to fill this methodological gap by replicating  international in vitro studies on the toxicity of cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol by an independent and multicentric approach, adding experiments or conditions where necessary, in order to verify the robustness and replicability of the data and results.

    The most recent study replicated by the team was published by Rudd and colleagues in 2020. The study aimed to establish the cytotoxicity, mutagenesis and genotoxicity of cigarette smoke or e-cigarette aerosol on cells .

    Replica researchers performed a standard toxicology battery of three assays used for product assessment and regulatory applications. Their results, published by Springer Nature’s Scientific Reports,  indicated that e-cigarette aerosol was low cytotoxic and it did not show any mutagenic or genotoxic activity unlike the cigarette smoke, which showed high cytotoxic, mutagenic and genotoxic activity. Moreover, the Replica study covered some methodological gaps and limitations in the original work, by adding some conditions with the aim of covering all the possible ways of inducing genotoxicity and mutagenesis on cells.

    Our findings not only confirmed the results obtained by our colleagues but also addressed some methodological gaps and limitations in the original work.

    First author Rosalia Emma

    “Our findings not only confirmed the results obtained by our colleagues but also addressed some methodological gaps and limitations in the original work,” said Rosalia Emma, first author of the Replica study, in a statement. “However, it’s important to highlight that, despite using different machinery and the variations in the exposure methodology, in the case of cytotoxicity (NRU assay), the toxicity of the e-cigarette is significantly lower than that of traditional cigarettes”.

    In the Replica study, the team performed the NRU assay to assess cytotoxicity, the bacterial reverse mutation (Ames) assay to evaluate mutagenicity and the in vitro micronucleus assay to measure genotoxicity. Despite some different methodologic aspects, the researchers obtained results similar to those obtained by Rudd and colleagues.

    “Although we have added experimental conditions neglected by the authors of the first paper, the results obtained previously are confirmed and even strengthened, confirming the electronic cigarette as a useful tool for reducing smoking damage in healthy smoking subjects” said Massimo Caruso, co-project leader of the Replica project and corresponding author.