# The impact of vaping aerosol exposure on innate pulmonary defense mechanisms in nonhuman primates

> **NIH NIH K01** · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · 2022 · $200,528

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Vaping is a serious public health concern that was associated with outbreaks of hospitalizations and deaths in
2019. These outbreaks of electronic vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) coincided with increased use of
electronic vaping devices by adolescents and young adults. The rapid disease onset of EVALI and the role of
macrophages in its progression, support a role for the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of EVALI.
Despite its rising use little is currently known about the effect of vaping on pulmonary immunology and physiology
highlighting the need for animal models to better understand its effects. Small animal models have shown
pathologic changes following exposure to vaping aerosols; however, they do not recapitulate the pathologic
manifestations of EVALI reported in humans necessitating a more translatable animal model to investigate the
pathogenesis of EVALI. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are ideally suited for studying respiratory diseases in
humans due to their similarity in both pulmonary anatomy and immunology which provide advantages over other
animal models. Here, we aim to utilize a NHP model to investigate the impact of vaping aerosol exposure on
innate pulmonary defense mechanisms. We will longitudinally assess pulmonary and innate immune function
(immune cell infiltrates, alveolar macrophage phagocytosis, and secretion of cytokines, chemokines, and
defense molecules) over a four-week period of daily vaping aerosol exposure. At the end of the study, correlation
with pathologic changes will occur through rigorous postmortem examination and sampling of the upper and
lower respiratory tract. The data generated from this study will inform on mechanisms by which vaping aerosols
effect innate pulmonary defenses, an important area of investigation in this time of highly infectious respiratory
diseases. Furthermore, this study will provide preliminary data for future investigations evaluating the contribution
of individual constituents within the vaping liquid (nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol, and vitamin E acetate); and
vaping in the context of comorbid conditions (SARS-CoV-2 and HIV/SIV), areas of special interest supported by
several funding agencies (NIDA, NHLBI, NIAID). This proposed study and Mentored Career Development Plan
will be conducted at the Tulane National Primate Research Center under the guidance of Drs. Ronald Veazey
and Chad Roy. The TNPRC has been a national resource and center of excellence for biomedical research
using nonhuman primates for over 50 years. The TNPRC has a strong commitment to training and mentorship
and provides support (financial and effort-based) to create a rich and diverse training environment for early-stage
investigators. The TNPRC fully supports Dr. Blair in his career goal to develop into an independently funded
private investigator working with NHP models to study diseases of major public health importance. The dedicated
time and additional mentorship provided by this K01...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10428016
- **Project number:** 1K01OD032309-01
- **Recipient organization:** TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert Blair
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $200,528
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10428016

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10428016, The impact of vaping aerosol exposure on innate pulmonary defense mechanisms in nonhuman primates (1K01OD032309-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10428016. Licensed CC0.

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