# Woodsmoke-induced disruption of Nasal Microbiome and Cytokine Profiles

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $155,500

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Global exposure to woodsmoke particles, primarily from wildfires and biomass burning, are an ever-increasing source of
particulate matter, which is linked to many respiratory conditions. Successful defense against woodsmoke requires
proficient immune regulation to maintain overall homeostasis. Critical to establishing an effective immune response to
inhaled antigens, the nasal mucosa are known to be colonized by a large number of fungal, bacterial and viral micro-
organisms. Disorders of the respiratory tract, however, are considered diseases of inflammation, not infection. Many studies
have shown the role of commensal resident microbes and their metabolites in the initiation and/or progression of mucosal
inflammation. For instance, incidence of allergic and inflammatory disease, including asthma and allergic rhinitis, is
associated with a lack of diverse microbial colonization. Nasal cytokines are also known to be altered in those exposed to
air pollutants (e.g., wildfire smoke), and to alter the robustness of response to viral insults, such as influenza and
coronaviruses. Thus, we hypothesize that wood smoke exposure induces dysbiosis of the nasal microbiome and an altered
inflammatory cytokine profile, which together have implications for respiratory health. We address this gap by identifying
how concurrent microbiota and cytokine profiles change in response to exposure to woodsmoke. In this crossover
study design, we will collect nasal epithelial lining fluid samples from healthy individuals at multiple time points post-
exposure to either woodsmoke or filtered air in a controlled setting, in order to generate microbiome and the cytokine
profiles. Once samples have been processed in the laboratory, we will conduct bioinformatic and statistical analyses to
describe how acutely the microbiome and cytokines are concurrently altered in response to woodsmoke. We will also
compare baseline profiles and responses in microbiome and cytokine responses by demographic and other factors. While
we focus here on a woodsmoke exposure, this work has diverse applications including for future studies of atopic disease,
ambient air pollution exposure, smoking; and potential development of therapies for respiratory disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10196055
- **Project number:** 1R21ES032928-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Radhika Dhingra
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $155,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10196055

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10196055, Woodsmoke-induced disruption of Nasal Microbiome and Cytokine Profiles (1R21ES032928-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10196055. Licensed CC0.

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