TUESDAY, April 13, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Secondhand smoke impairs the ability of specialized cells to migrate toward the site of a wound, resulting in slower healing or greater scarring, a University of California, Riverside study has found.
Researchers examined the effects of passive smoke on fibroblasts, cells that play an important role in wound healing. Among other things, the study found that secondhand smoke altered the arrangement of the cells' cytoskeleton, causing the fibroblasts to become more adhesive and less mobile.
"These effects can contribute to abnormal healing and may explain why people who are consistently exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from slow healing and excessive scarring of wounds, much like smokers themselves," the study authors write.
The study appears in this week's issue of BMC Cell Biology.
More information
The American Lung Association has more about secondhand smoke.
