How e-cigarette metals and chemicals affect young adults' breathing
Official title: Respiratory Effects, Metal and Aldehyde exposure from e-cigarette use in young adults (REMA)
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11180392 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project measures metal and aldehyde exposure and signs of lung inflammation in young adults who do and do not use e-cigarettes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00ES034507-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180392 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young adults (around 18–24 years, with enrollment age cutoffs like 21 where required) who either regularly use pod- or disposable-style e-cigarettes or who do not vape and can serve as comparison participants.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the study's age or health eligibility (for example under the age cutoff, or excluded by protocol) and anyone seeking a medical treatment rather than participation in an observational test are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will enroll about 150 young adults—roughly 75 regular e-cigarette users and 75 non-users—for a single cross-sectional visit. They will collect breath tests and biosamples to measure metals, aldehydes, and biological markers like metallothionein and inflammatory signals. The team will compare chemical exposure levels and respiratory markers between users and non-users and look at how mixtures of chemicals relate to lung outcomes. The focus includes newer disposable pod-style devices and how device type and vaping patterns may change exposure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific harmful chemicals from e-cigarettes and markers that help guide prevention or future care for vaping-related lung problems.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have detected metals and aldehydes in e-cigarette aerosols and linked vaping to airway inflammation, but applying mixture analysis to newer disposable devices is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aherrera, Angela — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Aherrera, Angela
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.