CHRNA7 and non-small cell lung carcinoma: In brief, nicotine binds to α7nAChR, activating the cellular signaling pathways involved in proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis and anti-apoptosis/autophagy, which increases expression of EMT-associated molecules in NSCLC cells such as hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), deca-pentaplegic homolog (Smad), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), metalloproteinases (MMPs), cyclinD1, Snail, twist, vimentin, fibronectin and N-cadherin [13].