Understanding lung injury from ozone exposure

Activated Macrophages and Ozone Toxicity II

Not applicable Interventional Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · NCT05794087

This study is testing how breathing in ozone affects lung injury by looking at immune cell activity in the mucus of people who will exercise after being exposed to both clean air and ozone.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment120 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 40 Years
SexAll
SponsorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey Academic / other
Locations1 site (Piscataway, New Jersey)
Trial IDNCT05794087 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study aims to investigate how ozone exposure affects lung injury by analyzing macrophage activity in sputum samples. Participants will undergo two exposure sessions, one to filtered air and another to 0.2 ppm ozone, with at least two weeks between sessions. Each session will involve physical activity on an exercise bicycle, and follow-up visits will include sputum, blood, and exhaled breath sample collections for analysis. The study is conducted at the Rutgers EOHSI clinical center in Piscataway, NJ.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are healthy individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and can produce sputum samples.

Not a fit: Patients with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, recent respiratory symptoms, or other specified health conditions may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to a better understanding of lung injury mechanisms, potentially informing treatment strategies for those affected by air pollution.

How similar studies have performed: While studies on air pollution and lung injury exist, this specific approach focusing on macrophage activity in response to ozone exposure is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Exclusion Criteria:

* Cardiovascular disease
* Respiratory disease
* Recent (within 4 weeks) respiratory or COVID-19 symptoms
* Diabetes
* Pregnancy
* HIV Infection
* History of smoking within the past 5 years.
* Orthopedic or rheumatologic conditions which would interfere with cycle use
* Inability to produce a sputum plug at screening
* Daily use of antioxidant supplements, excluding those in a multivitamin. These supplements include Vitamin C or E, selenium, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and ginkgo biloba. Supplements taken less frequently but at least once a week will be reviewed by the principal investigator for eligibility determination.

Where this trial is running

Piscataway, New Jersey

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Air PollutionMacrophage
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.