Project description:Human A549 lung epithelial cells were exposed directly at the air-liquid interphase towards combustion aerosols of wood burning. The goal was to compare the responses towards different wood and burning conditions. Beech log woods were burnt in a modern masonry heater, soft wood pellets were burnt in a pellet boiler.
Project description:Epidemiological studies identified air pollution as one of the prime causes for human morbidity and mortality due to harmful effects mainly on the cardiovascular and respiratory system. Damage to the lung leads to several severe diseases such as fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Noxious environmental aerosols are comprised of a gas and particulate phase representing highly complex chemical mixtures composed of myriads of compounds. Although some critical pollutants, foremost particulate matter (PM), could be linked to adverse health effects, a comprehensive understanding of relevant biological mechanisms and detrimental aerosol constituents is still lacking. Here, we employed a systems toxicology approach focusing on wood combustion, an important source for air pollution, and demonstrate a key role of the gas phase, specifically carbonyls, to drive adverse effects. Transcriptional profiling and biochemical analysis of human lung cells exposed at the air-liquid-interface determined the DNA damage and stress response as well as perturbation of cellular metabolism as major key events. Connectivity mapping revealed a high similarity of gene expression signatures induced by wood smoke and agents prompting DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs). Indeed, various gaseous aldehydes were detected in wood smoke, which promote DPCs, initiate similar genomic responses and are responsible for DNA damage provoked by wood smoke. Hence, systems toxicology enables the discovery of critical constituents of complex mixtures i.e. aerosols and highlights the role of carbonyls on top of particulate matter as important health hazard.
Project description:Electronic cigarette use has increased dramatically over the past three years, despite numerous reports of acute lung injury and even death. In this report we provide evidence from a nonhuman primate model for Electronic Vapor-Induced Lung Injury (EVALI), demonstrating significant lung pathology from electronic vaping (EV). Here we characterized the particle size and pathogenic effects induced by EV exposure of nonhuman primates using the commercial nicotine JUUL® pod modular devices. Vaping aerosols appear to preferentially and exclusively target the bronchioles while bypassing larger bronchi. We demonstrate a significantly smaller particle size, generated by the EV device relative to combustion product aerosols produced by conventional cigarettes. Histopathologically, vaping aerosols appear to preferentially and exclusively target the bronchioles while bypassing larger bronchi which is consistent with a significanlty smaller particle size compared to cigarette smoke. Our immunohistochemical and RNAseq studies provide further evidence for severe small airway inflammation and dysregulation of gene expression within immune cells derived from bronchial lavage, respectively. Our findings raise major concerns regarding the safety of e-cigarettes, and provide a mechanism for the preferential induction of lung injury by EV. Our results, in a species whose lung architecture is the closest possible approximation of that of a human adolescent, suggest the danger of the EV device itself and resultant small particulate aerosols produced, preferentially entering and damaging a highly susceptible part of the respiratory system.
Project description:BEAS-2B cells, at air liquid interface, were exposed to birch pollen extract or house dust mite extract in a cloud chamber and, later, to UFP rich combustion aerosols in an in vitro exposure system. As control the same exposure was performed without allergen containing extracts. The goal was to understand the effect of allergenic pre-exposure to a UFP rich combustion aerosol exposed cells and their effect on allergic sensitization, using an established model that mimics more closely real life exposures.
Project description:We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3’ and/or 5’ end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5’ differences and in support of this we report that a 5’ isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5’ isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.