Researchers find smoking-lung cancer culprit

Researchers find smoking-lung cancer culprit | Reuters: "A protein responsible for repairing damaged DNA may be a vital link to explaining how smoking causes lung cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

Lung cells exposed to cigarette smoke produce less of the protein, called FANCD2, the team at Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute reported.

Without FANCD2, damaged DNA can cause cells to proliferate out of control instead of destroying themselves as normal cells do."