The Role of Macrophage Activation in Lung Injury Following Ozone Exposure

This study is investigating how exposure to ozone — a common air pollutant found in smog — activates immune cells in the lungs and contributes to lung injury. When we breathe in ozone, it can irritate the airways and trigger an inflammatory response, particularly involving macrophages (immune cells that patrol the lungs). Understanding exactly how this process works could help develop treatments to protect against air pollution-related lung disease, which affects millions of people, especially those who live in urban areas. Healthy adults between 18 and 40 years old who are non-smokers (no smoking in the past 5 years), are not pregnant, and do not have cardiovascular, respiratory, or immune conditions like diabetes or HIV are eligible. People taking high-dose antioxidant supplements, or those who cannot produce a sputum sample at screening, are also excluded. Participants will be exposed to controlled levels of ozone in a research chamber, and samples such as sputum and blood will be collected to measure immune cell activity and inflammation. Researchers will compare this with responses to clean air. The findings are relevant to public health policy and could inform recommendations for reducing harmful effects of air pollution, as well as guide development of medications to reduce ozone-related lung inflammation.