Elucidating the cell signalling events that mediate Nanomaterial induced pulmonary inflammation in vitro.

There is evidence that nanomaterials (NMs, <100nm in diameter) stimulate pro-inflammatory responses, however, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the underlying mechanism. Existing studies investigating the pulmonary toxicity of nanosized particles in particulate air pollution have identified the redox-sensitive NM-inducedion factors NF-κB and AP-1 as key mediators of pro-inflammatory signalling in lung epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Accordingly, we used multiple methods to investigate the intracellular signalling pathways that regulate NM-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in vitro.