The role of social determinants in the potential for inhaled microplastic pollution to affect macrophage energy metabolism
Lead Researcher: Dr Stephanie Wright
Supported by the Social, Genetic & Environmental Determinants of Health (SGE) Theme
Tiny plastic particles, called microplastics, are everywhere, including in the air we breathe. We’re worried about how these particles might harm our health, especially our lungs.
How Microplastics Might Harm Us:
- Disrupting Cell Energy: Microplastics can interfere with how our cells produce energy, which is crucial for their proper function.
- Weakening Immune Response: When this energy disruption occurs in immune cells, it can weaken our immune system, making us more susceptible to respiratory diseases like asthma.
Our Research: We’re studying how microplastics in indoor air, especially in homes, affect our health. We’ll focus on how these particles impact our immune cells and their ability to fight off infections.
Our Approach:
- Modelling Indoor Air: We’ll create particle models of indoor air in different types of homes, from wealthy to poor, to simulate real-world exposure.
- Testing Cell Energy: We’ll use a special tool called Seahorse which measures oxygen and acid in the liquid outside of the cells, to quantify how microplastics affect the way in which mitochondria use oxygen to create energy in immune cells.
- Analysing Immune Response: We’ll examine how these changes in cell energy impact the immune system’s response to inflammation by quantifying proteins involved in the immune response.
Our Goal: By understanding these effects, we can provide recommendations to reduce exposure to harmful microplastics and improve indoor air quality, leading to better health outcomes.