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The influence of particulate matter properties on the biophysical entry mechanisms into lung cells

Project description

Particulate matter (PM), also termed particulates, are microscopic particles suspended in the ambient air. While a certain amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere coming from wildfires and sandstorms can be considered natural, a large proportion of today’s airborne particulates originates from human activities like industrial processes, power plants, burning of fuel and vehicles. Exposure to and inhalation of PM correlates significantly with diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke (Anderson, Thundiyil et al. 2012). As industrialization around the world progresses, the problem will aggravate in the coming years. To protect the population from the adverse effects of PM on health, many countries have passed legislation that aims at controlling the air pollution caused by particulate matter in highly affected places, like restrictions on vehicle use. These legislative measures are debated hotly, while at the same time the actual impact of certain forms of PM on health remains controversial. In order to set meaningful limits on particulate matter concentration, reliable data about the actual uptake and effects of PM must be available. This is especially difficult as not all forms of particulates are penetrating the lung and lung tissue equally and not all have similarly negative effects on health (Harrison and Yin 2000). The aim of this research project is to investigate the interaction between particulate matter and lung cells on hitherto unexplored temporal and spatial scale in order to tackle the question how and why particles are internalized. The focus of our study therefore lies on cell-particle interactions from the sub-cellular to the multi-cell level to characterize the relevant binding and uptake pathways by different in vitro assays.

Start/End of project

01.08.2020 until 31.07.2023

Project manager

Rohrbach A

Contact person

Rohrbach A

Funding

Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Projektnummer RO 3615/17-1
Benutzerspezifische Werkzeuge