CHRNA7 and small cell lung carcinoma: In this regard, several studies have shown that α7 nAChRs are involved in nicotine-induced proliferation of normal human bronchial epithelial cells, as well as cell proliferation in small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, in which α7 nAChR antagonists decreased these nicotine effects (Heeschen et al., 2002; Trombino et al., 2004; Dasgupta et al., 2006).