On the Need for Human Studies of PM Exposure Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome

Doug Brugge; Jianghong Li; Wig Zamore

doi:10.3390/toxics11030202

On the Need for Human Studies of PM Exposure Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome

Toxics. 2023 Feb 21;11(3):202. doi: 10.3390/toxics11030202.

Authors

Doug Brugge¹, Jianghong Li², Wig Zamore³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
² Institute for Community Research, Hartford, CT 06106, USA.
³ Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership, Somerville, MA 02145, USA.

Abstract

Particulate matter air pollution is associated with blood inflammatory biomarkers, however, the biological pathways from exposure to periferal inflammation are not well understood. We propose that the NLRP3 inflammasome is likely stimulated by ambient particulate matter, as it is by some other particles and call for more research into this pathway.

Keywords: NLRP3 inflammasome; particulate matter air pollution; research needs.

Grants and funding

R01-ES026980 and R01-ES030289/National Institute of Health