Project 2: Fate and Effects of Inhaled ENMs in the Lung

纳米材料吸入暴露和潜在的健康影响工程纳米材料（ENM）是一种新兴的材料类别，在成像，电子和治疗领域的使用越来越多;然而，它们已经成为越来越多的常用产品的一部分，如计算机芯片，化妆品，服装和膳食补充剂。尽管这些ENM可能被证明是有益的，但人们对其潜在的健康风险表示担忧。虽然这些颗粒已经研究了几十年，但直到最近才以认真的方式研究了ENM的潜在毒性。该毒性问题最近通过7名女性工厂工人在其工作期间暴露于纳米颗粒5-13个月的病例报告而被强调，这些工人发展为肺损伤伴肺纤维化和炎症，尽管在这些不幸的病例中可能涉及其他因素。可能接触ENM的人群包括工人、消费者和公众，通过皮肤、胃肠道或眼睛等多种途径接触，但吸入途径仍可能是最重要的途径。吸入途径对于ENM的许多应用也是重要的，包括成像剂、基因治疗和向感染或肿瘤部位的治疗药物递送。

Nanomaterial Inhalational Exposure and Potential Health Effects Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are an emerging category of materials that are finding increasing use in the areas of imaging, electronics and therapeutics; however, they are already part of a widening number of products that are commonly used such as computer chips, cosmetics, clothing and dietary supplements. Even though these ENMs may prove to be beneficial, there have been concerns raised regarding their potential health risks. Although these particles have been studied for the last few decades, only recently has the potential toxicity of ENMs been researched in a serious way. This issue of toxicity has been recently highlighted by the case report of 7 female factory workers exposed to nanoparticles during their work for 5-13 months who developed lung damage with pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation^, although there may have been other factors involved in these unfortunate cases. People that may be exposed to ENMs include workers, consumers and the general public through a number of ways that include by skin or by the gastrointestinal route or through the eyes, but the inhaled route remains potentially the most important one. The inhaled route is also an important one for a number of applications for ENMs including imaging agents, gene therapy and therapeutic drug delivery to infected or tumour sites.