Overview
- Genome sequencing of 37,897 current smokers in Mexico City identified a CHRNB3 p.Glu284Gly variant concentrated in people of Indigenous Mexican ancestry.
- Carriers smoked about 21% fewer cigarettes per day with one copy of the variant and roughly 78% fewer with two copies.
- Independent analyses in UK Biobank and Biobank Japan showed convergent CHRNB3 signals with similar effect directions across European and East Asian cohorts.
- The genetic effects appear to influence smoking intensity rather than whether people start smoking, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear.
- Researchers and outside experts call for laboratory studies, detailed phenotyping, larger cohorts, and scrutiny of conflicts related to Regeneron ties and patent claims.