Air pollution molecules make key immune protein go haywire
BAD AIR Reactive molecules in air pollution, including from car exhaust, may thwart immune responses in babies’ lungs. The immune response possibly explains how bad air spurs severe infections and chronic asthma.
DENVER — With the flip of a cellular switch, reactive molecules in air pollution can turn immune responses in the lungs topsy-turvy. When those reactive molecules fill baby mouse lungs, they can open the door to severe infections as well as set the stage for asthma later in life, researchers reported March 23 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.