Don’t Hold Your Breath! Tissue Chips and Other In Vitro Models for Studies of Inhalation Toxicology

IVAN RUSYN, Texas A&M Univerisity

     Abstract Number: 630
     Working Group: Plenary Lecture Invited by Conference Chair

Abstract
Inhalation toxicology is a study of adverse impacts of gases and aerosols on humans and animals. It is one of the most challenging areas of study in toxicology, but also one of the most important as all humans are exposed to air pollutants and toxics in their daily lives. The challenges range from characterization of the chemical composition of the atmospheres that are inhaled, to understanding of the portal of entry and systemic concentrations and effects of inhaled substances, to making decisions about safe exposure levels for the highly dynamically changing mixtures of potential toxicants. To address these, and other challenges, inhalation toxicology studies typically rely on a range of experimental models and exposure settings, some may be conducted in humans and animals, but many include studies of cells. The latter includes recent developments of complex tissue-like constructs commonly referred to as tissue chips. This presentation will describe some of the new approach methods in inhalation toxicology. While exciting discoveries have been made, there are also great challenges in moving these models from discovery into practice. By presenting both sides of the topic, this plenary should stimulate inter-disciplinary thinking to bridge aerosol research with biomedical science and ultimately yield innovative solutions for regulatory adoption.