How genes shape lung reactions to ozone air pollution
Regulatory Genomics of Ozone Air Pollution Response in Vitro and In Vivo
Researchers are looking at how people's genes change lung cells' responses to brief ozone exposure to understand why some people have stronger breathing and inflammation reactions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295450 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses human airway cells to see how gene activity and DNA regulation differ before and after ozone exposure. Scientists will expose bronchial epithelial cells to ozone in the lab, measure gene expression and chromatin accessibility with ATAC-seq, and link those changes to genetic differences called eQTLs. They will compare these lab-based patterns to known human ozone responses to find genetic markers of susceptibility. The goal is to reveal molecular pathways that make some people more likely to have airway inflammation or drops in lung function after pollution.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people willing to provide airway cell samples or who have shown breathing or inflammatory responses to air pollution.
Not a fit: People whose symptoms are unrelated to inhaled pollutants or who cannot provide airway samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at higher risk from ozone and point to molecular targets for preventing or treating pollution-related lung injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior controlled human ozone exposure and candidate-gene studies have shown reproducible airway responses and some gene-by-environment links, but genome-wide regulatory studies like this are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kelada, Samir — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Kelada, Samir
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 below.