Immunotoxicology

The Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute is well known for contributing to the understanding of the effects of several environmental xenobiotics on the immune system, including cigarette smoke, silica, diesel exhaust smoke, and beryllium, at the organ, cellular, and molecular levels. The Institute is ideally suited to evaluating the effects of inhaled toxicants on the immune response of lymphoid tissues and the lung.

Key Capabilities:

• NTP-recommended immunotoxicity testing of xenobiotics, under the guidelines of Good Laboratory Practices
• Evaluating the effects of inhaled materials on the cellular traffic in the lung, phagocytosis and clearance of particles and pathogens from the lung, and immune responses in the lung, and lung-associated lymph nodes
• Measurement of pulmonary hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens or chemicals and the effects of inhaled toxicants on the development of pulmonary hypersensitivity to environmental allergens
• Evaluating the effects of potential therapeutic drugs on immunological resistance to intracellular and extracellular microorganisms
• Effects of toxicants on cell-cycle and the antigen-mediated signal transduction pathways
• Effects of toxic materials on T cell tolerance and autoimmunity
• Effects of prenatal exposures on the development of lung immunity