Lung effects of menthol, mint, and tobacco flavored e-cigarettes
Pulmonary toxicological evaluation and chemical interactions of menthol, mint, and tobacco flavored e-cigarette products
This project checks whether menthol, mint, and tobacco-flavored e-cigarette vapors damage lung cells and lungs, which matters for people who use flavored e-cigarettes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167768 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study the chemicals produced when flavored e-cigarette liquids are turned into vapor and how those chemicals affect lung cells grown in the lab and lungs in mice. They will focus on menthol/cooling and tobacco flavors, look for chemical interactions that make vapors more toxic, and measure biological signs of lung injury. The work includes shorter-term lab exposures and longer-term animal exposures to see which chemicals and biomarkers track with harm. Findings will be used to confirm which flavoring agents are most likely to cause lung damage during prolonged use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who use menthol, mint, cooling/ice, or tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and those with vaping-related lung symptoms would be most likely to care about these findings.
Not a fit: People who never use e-cigarettes or whose health concerns are unrelated to inhaled products are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific flavor chemicals that harm the lungs and inform safer product rules, warnings, or future treatments for vaping-related lung injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior lab and animal studies have linked e-cigarette aerosols to lung injury, but the specific roles of menthol, cooling agents, and tobacco flavor chemicals are less well defined and this work aims to fill that gap.
Where this research is happening
West Lafayette, United States
- Purdue University — West Lafayette, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muthumalage, Thivanka Mudalige — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Muthumalage, Thivanka Mudalige
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.